Modi: Inaugurates $300 million costing Afghanistan India Friendship Dam

The Salma dam, Indian government financed mega project inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendar Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The India and Afghanistan “friendship” project completion took some three decades owing to instability and the civil war in the country.

“I have reached Afghanistan’s historical province Herat, would be taking part in inauguration ceremony of Salma dam and meeting with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tweeted from his account in both Pashto and Dari the national languages of Afghanistan.

“Inauguration of the Afghan India Friendship Dam is a historic moment of emotion & pride in the relations between Afghanistan and India”.

Indian Premier was received by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Addressing the gathering for inaugural ceremony Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told, “I sincerely welcome you and your accompanying delegation to your second home, Afghanistan especially in the historic province of Herat; allow me to thank you on behalf of the people of Afghanistan, people of Herat, and residents of Chisht-e-Sharif.”

Ghani told that the dam was corner stone was placed by the then President Sardar Muhammad Dawood Khan, forty years ago.

The Salma dam has the capacity of generating 42 megawatt electricity and irrigating 75000 hectares of land in the Herat province of Afghanistan. The gross capacity of the Salma Dam is 633 Million M3. The height of the Dam is 104.3 Mt, length 540 Mt and width at the bottom is 450 Mt.

“Rs.1775 crore [300 million dollar] project was funded by Government of India and took more than ten years to complete. The successful completion of the project represents culmination of years of hard work by 1,500 Indian and Afghan engineers and other professionals in very difficult conditions”, cites the statement by Indian Premier Narendra Modi’s office.