Afghanistan

Takhar residents face clean water crisis

Residents of Takhar province are extremely concerned about the shortage of water in the province and the subsiding ground water levels. 

These residents get their water from shallow wells and said most wells have dried up in the province, leaving them without clean water. 

Zarmina, a resident of the provincial capital, Taleqan, said many people are now forced to walk kilometers to get drinking water for their families. 

She said she walks about two kilometers every day, from Zargari to the Prozha-e-Sharqi area of the city, to collect clean water.

Climate change, droughts in recent years, and excessive digging for shallow wells have led to the sharp decline in ground water levels in the province, experts said. 

These experts said that negligence in water usage, the lack of a proper plan for water consumption, and the use of clean water for agriculture have also exacerbated the problem in Takhar.The Taliban’s provincial officials have said that the government will implement a plan to resolve water issues in Takhar. The officials, however, did not provide details of the plan.