Nimroz Farmers Suffer Heavy Losses Due to Drought
Many farmers in Nimroz say they have suffered heavy losses due to drought, with their farmland and orchards severely affected.
Seventy-five-year-old Sorgul, who supports a family of 12, says he previously covered his family’s expenses through farming, but declining rainfall and water shortages have significantly reduced his income.
Farmer Sorgul said: “We cultivated nearly 40 jeribs of land, but due to the lack of water, it produced no harvest. We spent money on cultivation but made no profit and instead suffered heavy losses. Everyone in this area has an orchard, but the trees are drying up because of the lack of water, causing us further losses.”
Other farmers also complain about the effects of water shortages.
They say falling groundwater levels have caused them losses of hundreds of thousands of afghanis.
Farmer Bor Agha said: “We are facing a severe water shortage in this area. Sometimes, there is not even enough water for ablution. We call on the government and other institutions to seriously address this problem because farming is our only source of income.”
Another farmer, Faqir Mohammad, said: “Residents of Chakhansur district and the center of Nimroz suffer heavy financial losses every year due to the lack of water for agriculture. Many farmers have abandoned farming, left the district or turned to other occupations.”
Local officials in Nimroz also acknowledge that groundwater levels in the province have dropped significantly.
According to them, the amount of water currently stored in the Kamal Khan Dam reservoir is also insufficient to irrigate farmland.
Abdul Manan, Head of Agricultural Affairs at the Nimroz Agriculture Department, said: “If there is water in Kamal Khan Dam, we can distribute it equally to all farmers through the Lashkari Canal. Unfortunately, there is no water in Kamal Khan Dam, the Lashkari Canal is also dry, and we are facing drought.”
Farmers in Nimroz had hoped that the operation of Kamal Khan Dam would ease irrigation problems, but they say water shortages remain one of the major challenges facing agriculture in the province.
