The first project of our initiative was to renew an irrigation pool in the village of Bagh, in Miramor Daikundi.
Daikundi is a mountainous and very dry province in central Afghanistan. An important source of income for the inhabitants are almond tree plantations. But these almond trees need to be irrigated.
Part of the irrigation infrastructure are pools where water is stored in spring for irrigation in summer. On the left you can see a standard irrigation pool in an almond plantation as they are typical for Daikundi.
The Project
A small plantation in Bagh that feeds 20 families of about 140 people, near the village of Chabarasak, had only a clay pit that could be filled with water instead of an irrigation pool. A good portion of the water always dissipated. While the trees immediately adjacent to the pit were well watered, it was impossible to plant new trees further away.
As part of the project, these families were helped to build a new irrigation pond. The new pond is larger and the water can also no longer seep away. This will allow the families to water their approximately 200 almond trees and in the fall they will be able to plant new trees. In the long term, the pool will help them to gain a better income.
Here you can see how the villagers discharge the pool. It has a drainage at the bottom left hand side and so the villagers don’t need any pumps to take the water to their trees, nor do they have to carry it. Instead, they simply attach hoses to the pool drainage and the weight of the water does the rest.
Material and Costs
From Austria, the costs for the building material were covered. A first payment of USDT 700 was used to buy 45 bags of cement, 40 m of grid roll, 12 pipes, 4 drainage taps and an agent against water permeability (Anti-Moisture). A second transfer of USDT 150 was necessary to purchase an additional 3 bags of cement, 4 more drainage taps and more anti-moisture. Thus, the construction costs amount to USDT 850.
The Construction
The villagers built the pool over a period of several weeks in March 2022. Now, the construction is drying, and will be filled with water soon.
Congratulations! I like this project which I think gives the people there pride and self-confidence. Keep on going, I will donate!