Qosh Tepa Canal wall break: Daryo investigates border incident with flowing water

Officials from the National Development Company of Afghanistan have  denied rumors of a wall collapse at Qosh Tepa Canal and the resulting flood. The controversy arose when it was reported that the canal's wall had broken, causing water to flood the area. However, officials assert that this information is false and a mere rumor, Daryo's correspondent in Afghanistan reported. 

Officials say that the Afghan National Development Company intentionally opened a waterway in the plains as part of a controlled measure to manage water volume. This action was purportedly taken to prevent water from flowing toward a bridge under construction in the Davlatabad district of the Balkh region. Authorities categorically dismissed claims of the canal wall collapse, labeling them as misinformation.

In an interview with a Daryo correspondent, an employee of the Qosh Tepa Canal named Shukrullah provided insights into the situation. Shukrullah refuted rumors about the destruction of the canal's wall, emphasizing that engineers redirected water due to the construction of a bridge in the Davlatabad region. He highlighted the presence of more than 8 springs along the Qosh Tepa Canal, unbeknownst to many, which emerged during the canal's excavation.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi of the Taliban government expressed optimism about solving Afghanistan's agricultural needs through the Qosh Tepa Canal. He reassured neighboring countries that the Taliban respects water rights and emphasized the priority of maintaining good relations with the region and the world.

Taliban officials outlined the ambitious plan for the Qosh Tepa Canal canal, projecting completion in three stages within five years with estimated construction costs of 60 bn Afghanis. The canal's route spans from Kaldar district in Balkh to Andkhoy district in Faryab, aiming to irrigate over 700 hectares of agricultural land in northern Afghanistan.

The Amu Darya water, a crucial resource that separates Afghanistan from Central Asian countries, has historically been utilized more by neighboring nations. Afghanistan, however, has not reaped significant benefits from it. Currently, 5.1bn cubic meters of Amu Darya water flow to Uzbekistan, 49.6bn cubic meters to Tajikistan, and 1.5bn cubic meters to Turkmenistan.

The construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal represents a significant economic project for the Taliban government over the past two years, approached with utmost seriousness. Launched in 2018, the canal stands as the largest water transfer project in the northern part of the country, capable of transferring 10bn cubic meters of water from the Amu Darya to Afghanistan.

On December 12, Alexander Kolotov, the coordinator of the "Rivers without borders" coalition in Central Asia, observes that the substantial water discharge from the canal formed a nine-kilometer spill, with satellite images revealing a symbolic resemblance to a tyrannosaurus. Additionally, the growing spill area in recent satellite observations raises concerns about the Taliban's capability or willingness to address the situation.

Earlier Daryo reported that Bakhtiyor Ergashev, the director of the "Ma'no" research initiative center, has raised concerns about the potential exacerbation of water shortages in Central Asian countries due to the functioning of the Koshtepa canal. Traditionally, Central Asian nations have managed shared water resources through agreed quotas under the International Coordinating Water Commission. However, Afghanistan, situated at the source of the Amudarya river, has not been bound by such agreements. Consequently, Afghanistan possesses the ability to access water without constraints imposed by neighboring countries.

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