India-Afghanistan to sign agreement on Shatoot Dam soon

India and Afghanistan will soon sign an agreement on the building of Shatoot dam that will provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents of Kabul city. This will be second dam India will be building in the country after the Salma or India–Afghanistan friendship dam in Herat Province of the country.

Afghanistan's top diplomat Tahir Qadiry speak at a virtual event organised by Confederation of Young Leaders (CYL) said,  "Shatoot Dam will go ahead with the commitment of the Indian government and the Afghans will pave way for that. We are very much hoping quite soon, both the countries will sign at a bigger function, the agreement for the dam."

Explaining, "The project is very vital for us...drinkable water to Kabul citizens, we have problems with drinkable water. That project will go ahead, we have been taking all the steps from our side, and we are just waiting for the day, most probably at a very senior position will sign it"

The agreement was also talked about by External Affairs Minister during his address to the Afghanistan 2020 Conference last month. New Delhi has been involved in number of infrastructure projects in the country, like Afghan Parliament, 218 Kms road from Delaram to Zaran connecting Afghanistan to Iran, 202-km Phul-e-Khumri transmission line.

Other than that, the Afghan Chargé d'Affaires lauded New Delhi's role amidst covid pandemic and said, "Today our relationship is like one nation, it's at its best, we can never forget India's support to Afghanistan amidst Covid-19".

Amidst the pandemic, India sent 75,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan and was also able to send more than 20 tonnes of life-saving medicines and other equipment to address the Covid-19 challenge.