The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says that construction work on the TAPI (Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India) natural gas pipeline project in the Herat section is progressing rapidly. So far, 127 kilometres of the project’s route have been prepared, 106 kilometres of gas pipeline have been laid, and 36 kilometres have been buried underground.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, the transportation of 98 kilometres of pipeline to the first TAPI project camp has been completed. Meanwhile, discussions with Afghan companies regarding the establishment of a gas distribution network in Herat are ongoing, and a private company has expressed readiness to invest approximately $420 million.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says that if this investment is implemented, it will create direct employment opportunities for 3,000 people and indirect employment for around 70,000 others.
According to the information provided, 595 people are currently employed in the security, administrative, and technical sectors of the TAPI project, with the majority working on ensuring the project’s security.
The Taliban say that once the TAPI project is completed, Herat will become one of the country’s major industrial centres. They claim that the arrival of natural gas will increase electricity generation capacity, activate manufacturing plants, and create opportunities for the production of chemical, petrochemical, and other industrial products.
The TAPI project, designed to transport natural gas between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, is considered one of the region’s major economic and energy projects. The pipeline has a total length of approximately 1,814 kilometres, of which 816 kilometres will pass through Afghanistan’s Herat, Farah, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
