India Backs Afghanistan's Plan to Build Dam on Kunar River Amid Pakistan Tensions
India has expressed support for Afghanistan's plan to construct a dam on the Kunar River, a transboundary river between Afghanistan and Pakistan, amid escalating border tensions with Pakistan. The Indian government reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable water management and Afghanistan's sovereignty. Pakistan views the dam as a threat to its water supply, especially given the concurrent strain from India over the Indus Waters Treaty.
Afghanistan under the Taliban has announced plans to build a dam on the Kunar River, which originates in Pakistan and flows into Afghanistan before returning to Pakistan. This move, directed by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, aims to assert Afghanistan’s right to manage its water resources. The Ministry of External Affairs of India confirmed it stands ready to support Afghanistan in sustainable water management and hydroelectric projects, evoking past cooperation exemplified by the India-funded Salma (Afghan-India Friendship) Dam in Herat.The dam plan arises against a backdrop of violent Afghanistan-Pakistan border clashes and increasing mistrust. Pakistan depends heavily on the Kunar and Kabul Rivers for irrigation and drinking water, notably for the Peshawar region, and fears a reduction in water flow by about three million acre-feet annually if the dam is built. This would coincide with water shortages Pakistan faces due to India suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack, further squeezing Pakistan’s water access from the east.India condemned Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism and reaffirmed support for Afghan sovereignty and water resource development. Afghanistan aims to utilize domestic companies for dam construction, although technical and investment challenges remain. The dam project is part of a broader geopolitical water struggle, where India and Afghanistan’s moves intensify Pakistan’s water security concerns from both eastern and western fronts.
