India has expressed its readiness to assist Afghanistan in developing hydroelectric and water-management projects, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) affirming that New Delhi stands prepared to support all Afghan efforts aimed at the sustainable management of water resources.
The statement comes after Afghanistan’s Ministry of Water and Energy announced plans to build a series of dams on the Kunar River, a transboundary river flowing into Pakistan. The move has raised concerns in Islamabad over the impact on downstream water flows.
Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s “full commitment to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence,” particularly in the wake of recent border clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces.
Officials recalled that India has a long record of supporting Afghanistan’s infrastructure development, including the construction of the India-Afghanistan Friendship (Salma) Dam in Herat Province, a symbol of bilateral cooperation in water management and clean-energy access.
Analysts view India’s renewed offer as both a humanitarian and strategic gesture to strengthen regional stability, promoting sustainable growth, and deepening ties with a neighbour facing acute power shortages.
If implemented, the new hydroelectric projects could transform Afghanistan’s power landscape, bringing electricity and irrigation to rural communities that have long depended on diesel generators and seasonal streams.
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