Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), or the Afghan power company, has upgraded a hydropower plant in Kajaki area of the southern Helmand province and formally inaugurated it Wednesday.
This is the second phase of Kajaki hydropower plant, which produces 100 MW of power and sustainable electricity for Helmand and neighboring Kandahar provinces, DABS deputy Mawlawi Abdul Rahman Rahmani said in his speech at the inauguration ceremony here.
In addition to providing electricity, the power dam with a capacity of storing 1 million cubic meters of water would also irrigate thousands of hectares of farmlands in the southern region, the official said.
Rahmani said the DABS would extend electricity capacity to cover more areas in the country, with a 104.9 million U.S. dollar project on the plan.
Afghanistan's big cities, including the capital Kabul, remain without power for hours every day.
The country has been importing electricity from neighboring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran over the past decade to overcome power shortage.
Editor: Galia
