Afghan Dam Story Makes Headlines

An IWPR report about allegations of Iranian interference with the Salma Dam, under construction in Herat province, grabbed the attention of the local authorities who immediately responded by posting a detachment of police to protect the project.

The IWPR story, Iran Again Accused of Trying to Halt Afghan Dam, was picked up by numerous national and international media, and Afghanistan's Pajhwok News Agency ran a link to the story.

The IWPR report said Tehran has been accused of attempting to stop work on the Indian-funded dam, which would reduce the flow of river water into Iran. The allegations followed the killing by the Taleban of a local official who was promoting the project.

IWPR understands that after the governor of Herat, Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, was alerted to the allegations of Iranian interference in the IWPR story, he and the provincial police chief and a number of other officials visited the Salma Dam site.

One of their key decisions was to protect work on the dam by dispatching 100 extra police.

Gulbuddin, the police commander of the unit protecting the dam, said after the publication of the IWPR report Indian project staff, whose work faced severe delays and disruptions in the past, felt the story had given the project a new impetus. The construction workers were overjoyed at IWPR coverage of the risks they face in working on the project, he said.

The new police detachment was swiftly assembled, and a commander and chief of staff appointed. 

IWPR’s report quoted Gulbuddin, the police commander of the unit protecting the dam, as saying he had credible information that he has credible evidence that a Taleban chief opposed to Salma Dam is funded by Iranians.

The consulate of Iran in Herat declined to comment on the allegations and the Iranian embassy in Kabul could not be contacted. An Iranian embassy spokesman in London also could not be reached.

It is not the first time that Iran has been accused of meddling in Afghanistan’s affairs. Numerous reports have surfaced over the past few years about Iran’s alleged support for insurgents in the border region - claims Iranian officials have strenuously denied

The Salma Dam on the Hari Rud river, funded by a 150 million US dollars grant from the government of India, is located in the district of Chesht-e-Sharif, 180 kilometres east of Herat city and well away from the border with Iran.

Gulbuddin, speaking by phone, said after the publication of the IWPR report Indian project staff, whose work faced severe delays and disruptions in the past, felt the story had given the project a new impetus. The construction workers were overjoyed at IWPR coverage of the risks they face in working on the project, he said. 

“The Indians were very happy that their efforts were not ignored by media, and that they were committed to making more efforts in order to complete the dam,” he said.

The pace of work on the Salma Dam has doubled in the last few weeks and the Indian staff are working with greater enthusiasm than before, Gulbuddin said.

On the activity front, IWPR is to open a media centre in western Afghanistan where journalists can work and receive training.

The centre, which will be opened shortly in Herat, will be available for activities such as news conferences, and journalists will receive guidance on filing stories, conducting interviews, and collecting material for stories from IWPR mentors.

The regional centre will also have a database of contacts for government and non-government agencies which will be available for journalists from the region.

The IWPR representatives found that the demand for more IWPR activities in Herat was very high. The journalists’ associations and IWPR trainees asked IWPR to build a network of journalists in western Afghanistan by establishing a media centre in Herat, as it has done in Mazar-e-Sharif for northern Afghanistan.

IWPR's activities in Herat are funded by the Norwegian government.

Noorrahman Rahmani and Hafizullah Gardesh of IWPR visited Herat earlier this year to assess the need for a centre in Herat to bring together journalists in the western provinces which include Farah, Badghis and Herat itself.

IWPR's team from Kabul and its coordinator in Herat, Sadeq Behnam, met the head of the information and culture department of Herat, young Heratis, journalists’ associations and a group of journalists trained by IWPR in the region.

The IWPR representatives found that the demand for more IWPR activities in Herat was very high. The journalists’ associations and IWPR trainees asked IWPR to build a network of journalists in western Afghanistan by establishing a media centre in Herat, as it has done in Mazar-e-Sharif for northern Afghanistan.

Herat – which shares a long border with Iran and has a rich historical and cultural background – is the centre of the western economic zone of the country. This has made the province a focus of attention for some time.

A large media scene has emerged there since 2001, encouraging a considerable number of young people to study journalism. Local media include 11 radio stations, five television stations and more than 40 print outlets.

The centre will offer journalists access to free high-speed internet, computers and up-to-date software as well as serving as a hub for them to get together, exchange ideas and be mentored.

It will also encourage female journalists in the region, who find it hard to practice their profession because of the region’s conservative attitudes.

For its first training programme in this part of the country, IWPR has selected a wide range of trainees from the journalistic community, including reporters from local and international radio stations, freelancers and journalism students.