CAMP LEATHERNECK, AFGHANISTAN -- Tweny kilometers of newly excavated canal was reopened March 18, in Lashkari, Zaranj province, Afghanistan.
The Central Asia Development Group, in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development, oversaw the project along with local Afghan Government officials.

The newly excavated canal will provide water to more than half of the population of Zaranj. This water will be cleaner and give the people of Zaranj water for irrigation and drinking.

“Canals bring lifeblood to agrarian desert communities, and they require periodic maintenance,” said Col. Mike Lawrence, the Nimroz Province Provincial Coordination Lead for II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) C-9. “Lashkari Canal feeds several farms in Nimroz province and also provides drinking water to areas where silt had decreased the water flow.”

Several communities in Nimroz province suffered from drought because of the reduced water flow and insufficient upkeep of the canal.

Lashkari Canal clean up and repair is now a high priority to the Nimroz provincial government, Lawrence said. Governor Abdul Karim Brahawi and his staff are pleased with progress to date.

Although water flow in several areas has already improved, work continues on this project.

“Enabling communities to support and sustain themselves is a key component of stability operations, and a functional Lashkari Canal is essential to community self-sufficiency in southwest Nimroz,” said Lawrence.