Baghlan’s Dahana-e-Ghori Faces Water Shortage

Residents of Dahana-e-Ghori district in Baghlan province say they continue to face severe shortages of clean drinking water, forcing many families to walk long distances each day to collect water.

Rozaldin, a resident of the district, said he spends more than two hours every day fetching water. According to him, the Jangan Spring is the only source of drinking water for dozens of villages, with people traveling from distant areas and waiting in long queues to collect water.

Residents say most villages in the district lack piped water supply systems, leaving families with no choice but to spend hours walking to secure drinking water.

The district’s Advisory Council members say thousands of families are deprived of access to safe drinking water and have urged the government to implement water supply projects in the district as soon as possible.

Mohammad Asif, head of the Dahana-e-Ghori Advisory Council, said the district consists of 105 villages, but only one or two have access to spring water, while the rest lack reliable drinking water sources. He noted that many residents travel to the mountains, often using pack animals, to bring water to their homes.

Another council member, Mohammad Osman, called on the government to establish drinking water projects, saying several villages continue to face serious water shortages.

Meanwhile, local officials in Baghlan say efforts are underway to improve access to drinking water. Abdul Aziz Akhundzada, the district’s rural development manager, said the area has sufficient water resources, but poor water management has prevented residents from benefiting from them. He added that proper management would also improve water access for agriculture and livestock.

Baghlan Governor’s spokesperson, Khpalwak Farooqi, said 42 new water supply networks have been constructed across the province in recent years, 30 existing networks have been rehabilitated, and 240 hand-dug wells have been drilled. He added that the provincial administration is continuing efforts to address the remaining water challenges in Dahana-e-Ghori district.

Although Dahana-e-Ghori is one of the districts closest to Baghlan city, residents say they still have to walk for hours to obtain one of life’s most basic necessities—clean drinking water. They warn that if the problem is not addressed soon, the shortage of safe water could lead to the spread of diseases, particularly among women and children.