Tajik firm to build Afghan dam’s 1st phase

DUSHANBE – Tajikistan’s TADES engineering and construction firm will build the first phase of a dam spanning the Helmand River in Afghanistan’s Nimroz Province, Bakhtar News Agency reported August 13.

Acting Afghan Water and Energy Minister Muhammad Ismail Khan and TADES CEO Nurali Niyazov signed the agreement for TADES to work on the Kamal Khan Dam. TADES beat out seven other companies for the contract.

Work on the dam’s design began 50 years ago, but war interfered, Bakhtar reported.

The first phase will cost almost US $10m (47.3m TJS or 430m AFA), which Kabul will pay, Bakhtar reported. Phase 1 will take one year to build, Niyazov said. Khan did not give a completion date for the dam.