Afghan-India Friendship Dam
Afghan-India Friendship Dam (AIFD), formerly Salma Dam, is a hydroelectric and irrigation dam project located on the Hari River in Chishti Sharif District of Herat Province in western Afghanistan. The Afghan cabinet had renamed the Salma Dam to the Afghan-India Friendship Dam to express gratitude to India, which funded and helped with completing the partially constructed project.
| Afghan-India Friendship Dam | |
|---|---|
Location of Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Afghanistan | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Location | Chishti Sharif District, Herat Province |
| Coordinates | 34°19′51″N 63°49′31″E |
| Purpose | Multi-purpose (irrigation and power) |
| Status | Completed |
| Construction began | 1976 |
| Opening date | 4 June 2016 |
| Construction cost | US$ 290 million |
| Operator(s) | WAPCOS |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, earth and rock-fill |
| Impounds | Hari River |
| Height | 107.5 m (353 ft) |
| Length | 551 m (1,808 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Active capacity | 560×106 m3 (453,999 acre⋅ft) |
| Inactive capacity | 633×106 m3 (513,181 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 11,700 km2 (4,500 sq mi) |
| Turbines | 3 × 14 MW |
| Installed capacity | 42 MW |
| Annual generation | 86.6 GWh |
The hydroelectric plant produces 42 megawatts (56,000 hp) of power in addition to providing irrigation for 75,000 hectares (190,000 acres) of farmland (stabilising the existing irrigation of 35,000 hectares (86,000 acres) and development of irrigation facilities to an additional 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) of land).
The dam was opened on 4 June 2016 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.