Ghazni Province - Infrastructure

Infrastructure

Band E Sardeh Dam is located in Andar District near the border with Paktika Province. It creates a large water reservoir that is critical to the irrigation of the Kahnjoor farming zone. The dam itself and the canal system it feeds both need repairs and maintenance.

Governor Musa Khan Akbarzada stated that key development projects would be launched in southern Ghazni in 2012 ahead of the Asian capital of the Islamic civilization for 2013. The projects include the construction of a proposed Islamic cultural centre, a mosque, a covered bazaar, a gymnasium, a guesthouse, an airport, a five-star hotel and two 27 storey-buildings and others. More than 2,000 people would find work opportunities on the $30 million projects; $10 million would be provided by the central government, $7 million by the Polish provincial reconstruction team (PRT) and $3 million by the US. A 40-kilometre road would be asphalted by the end of the 2012.

Ghazni province is to be connected to the national electrical distribution system via North-east Power System (NEPS). The construction of transmission line would begin from east Chimtala to Ghazni using high voltage transmission network (2 x 220kV transmission lines and power substations). The project is to be implemented by USFOR-A and USAID costing $101 mlllion. However the Asian Development Bank agreed to complete the transmission line from Chimtala to Dast-i-Barchi; hence reducing Project scope to begin from Dast-i-Barchi instead of Chimtala. The implemention of this project was delayed due to USACE being unable to award a contract because bids received for the project were more than double estimated costs, due largely to security concerns resulting from therisks associated with implementing firm-fixed-price contracts in a kinetic environment, poor cost estimates, and unrealistic periods of performance. USACE is re-procuring both projects and plans toaward contracts in June or July 2012, which will delay the project's execution schedules between 6 to 15 months. Furthermore the delays in transferring funds contributed to delays in project execution. This line is a key part of a planned NEPS to SEPS connection to transport power to Kandaharto replace the expensive diesel-fueled power plants