Why in news?
India has expressed support for Afghanistan’s plan to build a dam on the Kunar River. The proposed project comes at a time when relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are strained, and water sharing in the Indus basin is becoming geopolitically sensitive.
Background
The Kunar River—also known as the Kama River in Afghanistan and the Chitral River in Pakistan—is a roughly 480‑kilometre‑long tributary of the Kabul River. It rises near the Broghil Pass in the Hindu Kush mountains of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Fed by melting glaciers and snow, it flows southwest through Chitral, crosses the border into Afghanistan and joins the Kabul River at Jalalabad. The Kabul River eventually merges with the Indus, making the Kunar part of the wider Indus watershed. Left‑bank tributary the Shishi River and right‑bank tributaries such as the Lotkoh, Landai Sin and Pech Rivers add to its flow.
The proposed dam
- Purpose: Afghanistan plans to build a dam on the Kunar to generate hydroelectricity and irrigate farmland. The project draws comparisons with the India‑funded Salma Dam on the Hari Rud in Herat Province.
- India’s support: India has signalled its willingness to provide technical and financial assistance. Officials view the project as part of broader cooperation on water resources with Afghanistan.
- Impact on Pakistan: The Kunar contributes an estimated 17 million acre‑feet of water annually to Pakistan via the Kabul River. Experts warn that the proposed dam could reduce flows by around 3 million acre‑feet, exacerbating tensions, especially since India has suspended parts of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
Why it matters
- Energy and irrigation: The dam could supply electricity to eastern Afghanistan and provide much‑needed irrigation in a region prone to drought.
- Geopolitical dynamics: By backing Afghanistan’s plan, India signals its intent to remain a development partner in the region while Pakistan fears a “double water squeeze” from both India and Afghanistan.
- Water diplomacy: The project highlights the need for cooperative water sharing arrangements in the Indus basin, which spans multiple countries and is already stressed by climate change and population growth.
Source: Moneycontrol · Kunar River facts