The Karez can be seen on the left side of this photo taken near Lakshar Gah. They look like a series of giant ant hillson the edge of the town and can be built by many generations.
Thie sharp escarpment is at the tail of the Hindu Kush between Delaram and Shindand. The topography is mesmerizing here.~~~~~~~~
The Dasht-e-Margo Desert covers a wide swath of southern Afghanistan and, is intersected into parcels by the north/south Helmand and Farah Rivers. The rivers bring significance to this wide desert terrain for it is within these valleys that people live and thrive because of the waters there. The Helmand River is one of five major river systems in Afghanistan and rises from its source in the Hindu Kush mountain range. This river drains 30% of all water in the Afghanistan State. Kandahar sits near the northeastern boundary of this desert and US Marine Corps outposts straddle the Helmand River. Recently, operations in Marjah brought to light the importance of the irrigation channels where the most recent poppy crop was being readied for harvest. The channels were created in the 1960s by the United States to help Afghanistan develop its own sources of food. The poppy brings the farmer exponentially more money and the farmers use this money to buy food, build their homes and, in some cases, to fuel more nefarious deeds.
An interesting feature in the landscape is the Karez. The Karez system is a means to convey subsurface water from one location to another by excavating holes and then tunneling to the direction of the water outfall. this ancient system has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years. A series of holes is dug to ground water, then tunnels connect the path of water to its outfall where then it is used for personal use, washing clothes, drinking, farming, and for livestock. The Karez water is a surficial aquifer relied on by most towns and villages as their only source of water.
A program is on-going to drill to depths of 800-1500 feet to extract water from deep aquifers so as not to affect the Karez. To date this program has been very successful and has produced water of high quality. One day, when the coalition forces leave, these legacy wells will remain for use by the people of Afghanistan to improve their lives and improve regional stability. The men and women participating in this effort are completely dedicated to performing expeditiously to establish as many wells as possible in a constrained time frame. The distances and terrain they have to traverse is often difficult and fraught with danger. Yet they press on. They are true professionals.
Kandahar
4.11.10
An interesting feature in the landscape is the Karez. The Karez system is a means to convey subsurface water from one location to another by excavating holes and then tunneling to the direction of the water outfall. this ancient system has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years. A series of holes is dug to ground water, then tunnels connect the path of water to its outfall where then it is used for personal use, washing clothes, drinking, farming, and for livestock. The Karez water is a surficial aquifer relied on by most towns and villages as their only source of water.
A program is on-going to drill to depths of 800-1500 feet to extract water from deep aquifers so as not to affect the Karez. To date this program has been very successful and has produced water of high quality. One day, when the coalition forces leave, these legacy wells will remain for use by the people of Afghanistan to improve their lives and improve regional stability. The men and women participating in this effort are completely dedicated to performing expeditiously to establish as many wells as possible in a constrained time frame. The distances and terrain they have to traverse is often difficult and fraught with danger. Yet they press on. They are true professionals.
Kandahar
4.11.10
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