The construction of a major canal kicked off in the northern province of Balkh on Wednesday and was attended by senior officials of the Islamic Emirate.

Speaking at the gathering of the opening ceremony of the project in Kaldar district of Balkh, the first deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, said that the completion of the canal project is a priority of the government.

“With the construction of this canal, the country will reach self-sufficiency in agriculture,’ he said. “We will not be begging other countries to help us. A country cannot be developed via aid.”

Called the “Qosh Tapa” canal, it will be 280 km long and 100 meters wide. It will begins in Kaldar district of Balkh and cross through Jawzjan and Faryab.

According to the first deputy PM, the project will be completed in five years and the project will help Afghanistan reach self-sufficiency in the agriculture sector.

The cost of the project is estimated at 60 billion Afs, which will be provided by the government. According to the officials, around 650 cubic meters of water will flow per second in the canal.

“This canal is around 280 km long and 100 meters wide and 8.5 meters deep,” said Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.

“We need ... our investors to come to their own country and invest here,” said Nooruddin Azizi, the acting Minister of Economy.

The canal will provide irrigation for three million acres of land in the provinces of Faryab, Balkh and Jawzjan.