Kamal Khan Dam
| Kamal Khan Dam | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Kamal Khan Dam Location within Afghanistan | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Location | Chahar Burjak District, Nimruz Province |
| Coordinates | 30°19′26″N 61°53′00″E / 30.323984°N 61.88337730°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation and hydroelectricity |
| Status | Completed |
| Construction began | 1974[1] |
| Opening date | 24 March 2021 |
| Construction cost | $78-85 million[2] |
| Owner | Ministry of Energy and Water |
| Operators | Ministry of Energy and Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity |
| Impounds | Helmand River |
| Height | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Length | 2.274 km (1.413 mi) (main dam) |
| Elevation at crest | 532 m (1,745 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 9 m (30 ft) (changing) |
| Width (base) | 90 m (300 ft) (changing) |
| Spillway type | Ogee |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 52,000,000 m3 (1.8×109 cu ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Annual generation | 9 GWh |
Kamal Khan Dam (Dari: بند کمال خان; Pashto: کمال خان بند) is a gravity dam in the Nimruz Province of Afghanistan, which is owned and operated by the nation's Ministry of Energy and Water. It is located on the Helmand River in the Chahar Burjak District of the province, about 95 km (59 mi) southeast of Zaranj. Its power station produces up to 9 MW of hydroelectricity in addition to providing irrigation to about 175,000 ha (430,000 acres) of agricultural land.[2][3] Its reservoir has the capacity to store up to 52 million cubic meters of fresh water.
History
Work on the Kamal Khan Dam originally began in 1974, but after the 1978 Saur Revolution the project was abandoned.[1] It resumed in 2017 during the Presidency of Ashraf Ghani.[2][4][5] The first phase of the project began on 19 April 2017.[6][7] The second phase in March of 2021,[8] and its third and final phase in February of 2025.[9]
Under the 1973 Helmand River water-sharing treaty, Afghanistan provides to neighboring Iran up to 850 million cubic meters of water annually through the Kamal Khan Dam.[10][11][12]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Helmand's Golden Age". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 August 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Afghanistan successfully tests water flow at major dam". Anadolu Agency. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ↑ "Kamal Khan Water Dam entangled in challenges from neighbors". The Frontier Post. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ↑ "Kamal Khan Dam reservoir fills up with water". Khaama Press. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ↑ "Inauguration of Kamal Khan Dam soon: Ahadi". Pajhwok Afghan News. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ↑ "Ghani Inaugurates Next Phase Of Kamal Khan Dam Project". TOLOnews. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ↑ "Work on Kamal Khan Dam phase-III to begin soon". Pajhwok Afghan News. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ↑ "Decades in making, Afghan mega dam opens on Iran border". Anadolu Agency. 24 March 2021.
- ↑ "Kamal Khan Dam's Third Phase Inaugurated in Nimroz". TOLOnews. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ "Iran receives 417 million cubic meters of water from Afghanistan this year". Ariana News. 7 June 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ↑ "Islamic Emirate Reacts to Remarks of Iranian President". TOLOnews. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ↑ Rasmussen, Sune Engel (22 March 2017). "Dam project promises water – but also conflict – for dusty Afghan border lands". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
External links
- Third phase of Kamal Khan dam operational in Nimroz on YouTube (Ariana News, Feb. 6, 2025)