Afghans present 100-metre long flag to India in thanksgiving gesture for building Salma Dam (Video)

People from Herat holding 100 meter Afghanistan-India flag  (Image Source: http://www.graanafghanistan.com/)

 Staff Correspondent, August 13, 2015, NewsCrunch

The People of Herat presented a unique 100-metre-long Indian-Afghanistan flag recently in a thanksgiving gesture for New Delhi's help in building a dam and solving their water problem.

India aided the reconstruction of Salma Dam built across the Harirud River at Chist-e-Shariff in Herat province, at a cost of over Rs.1,400 crores.

It has been estimated that the dam will generate 42 MW of power, besides irrigating 75,000 hectares of land.

With 90 percent of work already over, the Economic Times states that the dam is likely to be commissioned by mid-2016.

The Minister of Energy and Water of Afghanistan is said to have proposed that the soon-to-be commissioned Salma Multipurpose Dam be renamed as Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam.
The Afghan people have been as enthusiastic as their Minister in showing their appreciation for the Indian support.

1TV News Afghanistan reports that after water started flowing into the dam in late July, people from Herat province met Indian Consul General Amit Kumar Mishra on August 10th Monday, and presented him with a 100-meter long flag, comprising equal parts of Afghanistan and Indian flags.

India is the largest regional donor for Afghanistan; in 2014, USD 2 billion was earmarked as development aid.

Even the Afghan Parliament Building is being constructed with Indian assistance.

Video: Watch Afghan people from Herat with the 100 meter flag