KABUL, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan interim government's Ministry of Energy and Water has decided to start the survey and design work of four major dams in the year 1404 in the Persian calendar, starting from March 21, as part of efforts to manage water resources and increase electricity generation in the country.

The proposed dams would be constructed in the northern Takhar, eastern Ghazni, and western Herat and Badghis provinces to develop agricultural fields and increase energy production, the private media outlet Tolonews reported Tuesday.

"The budget for these dams has also been allocated to the Ministry of Energy and Water, and their practical survey and design will begin this year," Tolonews quoted Matiullah Abid, spokesman for the Ministry of Energy and Water, as saying.

Some 80 percent of the country's 35 million population largely relies on agriculture and has also been facing power shortages and potable water.

To overcome the challenges, the interim government, in addition to investing in the energy sector and launching small- and medium-scale projects to manage water resources, also imports power from neighboring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Enditem

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