Kajaki Dam

The Kajaki Dam is an embankment dam located on the Helmand River in the Kajaki District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, about 161 km (100 mi) northwest of Kandahar. It has a hydroelectric power station, which is operated by the Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority through the Ministry of Energy and Water. Kajaki Dam has a dual function, to provide electricity and to irrigate some 263,045 ha (650,000 acres) or 1,800 km2 (690 sq mi) of an otherwise arid land. Water discharging from the dam traverses some 300 miles (500 km) of downstream irrigation canals feeding farmland. As of July 2022 it produces up to 151 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The dam is 100 m (328 ft) high and 270 m (890 ft) long, with a gross storage capacity of 1,715,000,000 m3 (1,390,373 acre⋅ft) of fresh water. The dam controls the output of the main watershed which feeds the Sistan Basin.