Local officials in Herat province said that following the recent heavy rains, which caused damage in various parts of the country, the water level at Salma Dam increased enough for three turbines to generate electricity.

Currently there are forty megawatts of electricity being generated by Salma Dam, officials said.

“Three power generation turbines are on, power generation and water supply for the operation of eight districts are underway,” said Barakat Hai Rahimi, the technical manager of Salma Dam.

“Currently, the water of this dam is for Zendajan, Gozari and Injil districts, and a few days later it will reach Adro and Kuhsan districts. We have arranged for this to cover eight districts,” said Sardar Wali Muzmal, head of the Herat Naval Basin.

At present, eighty cubic meters of water are released from Salma Dam every second.

The release of Salma Dam is good news for farmers whose agricultural lands and orchards have dried up as the weather warmed.

The water has flooded thousands of hectares of agricultural land and orchards in eight districts of Herat.

Simultaneously with the warming of the weather, the water of Salma Dam to irrigate lands and orchards is considered important in increasing agricultural products in Herat.

“If there was no Salma Dam in Herat, especially for the western districts of Herat, such as Kohsan, Ghorian, Zendajan and parts of Guzara district, we would have lost our crops,” said Bashir Ahmad Ahmadi, an agricultural expert.

Agricultural lands and orchards in Chesht, Obeh, Pashtun Zarghun, Guzara, Injil, Zindan, Ghorian and Kahsan districts of Herat are irrigated from Salma Dam.

“We are working to extend the Salma Dam water to all of the districts of Herat,” said Peer Mohammad Halimi, Herat's director of agriculture and irrigation.

In the last few years, due to drought in late spring and summer, water from Salma Dam has been very limited.