Afghanistan - '6 Nangarhar districts facing acute water shortage'

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Farmers in eastern Nangarhar province complain about dry weather and lack of irrigation water, saying they have not cultivated wheat on most of their lands.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Department of Nangarhar said this year six districts are facing drought.

Mohammadullah, a farmer in Chaparhar district, said drought has not only affected wheat crops but most orchards in some districts did not receive required water.

He said:“Farmers avoided growing wheat and other corps on rain-fed land in Nangarhar due to the lack of rainfall.”

Shakirullah, another Nangarhar farmer, also expressed concern over drought condition and said if the agriculture department did not resolve water shortage issue, people will be faced with famine.

He said there was need for timely irrigation and giving urea to crops if farmers want to get bumper yield.

The Nangarhar Agriculture Department also acknowledged the problems faced by farmers due to drought.

Agriculture Department senior official Mohammad AkramDelgir said six Nangarhar districts were facing drought this year.

“Goshta, Chaparhar, Lalpura, KozKunar, Sra Road and Rodat districts are faced with water shortage and water excavation through water pump is also costly,” he said.

He was concerned that if timely water was not provided to farmers, they may face losses.

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