The water conservancy projects built by China decades ago are still benefiting the Afghan people

In the early spring of Parwan Province in eastern Afghanistan, although the mountains in the distance are still covered with snow, some green has appeared in the farmland on the outskirts of Charikar, the provincial capital. Thanks to the water conservancy and irrigation project that China helped to build in the local area about half a century ago, there is still gurgling water to irrigate the newly broken red bean seedlings during the current dry season.

It is understood that the two main rivers in Afghanistan, the Panjhir River and the Gorband River, both flow through Parwan Province. However, the lack of water conservancy infrastructure in the province once led to the lack of irrigation water for local farmland, and a large area of land was deserted.

Mohammed Yusuf Azimi, a 58-year-old local, said: "Before the opening of the water conservancy project assisted by China, people here faced a serious shortage of water resources when cultivating land. We can only harvest one season of food a year."

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Chinese government assisted in the construction of the Parwan irrigation project, which can irrigate tens of thousands of hectares of local land and also supply drinking water and domestic water for people and livestock. The project plays an important role in the economic development of Afghanistan and has significant economic benefits. Therefore, it is widely known in Afghanistan and is affectionately called "Water for Life Project".

"With the help of the canal built by China, we can harvest three crops a year, and even plant some vegetables in winter," Azimi said.

When the builders from China built the canal in Parwan province, Azimi was still a child. "We can always feel the kindness of the Chinese people. Whenever they drive by, they often get off to give us small gifts." Azimi recalled, smiling.

Azimir's playmate Kalandar was also impressed by the Chinese engineering team decades ago, and his father was involved in the construction of the project. "In the later years, my father often told us about the days when he worked with the Chinese engineering team and praised the Chinese engineers for their superb skills," Karandal said.

"We are very grateful to China for building this canal for us," Karandal said. "We can not only harvest wheat, corn and red beans in different seasons, but also raise several cows."

In an interview with reporters, Mujib Rahman Habibi, the head of the management department of the Palwan Gorband River, said that the water conservancy and irrigation project built by China has been "in service" for Palwan for decades, which shows the reliability of the project quality.

"At present, 32000 families along the project have benefited from it, which is enough to show that this project is too important for our Parwan people! We thank China!" Habibi said.