In News: A signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] for the construction of the Lalandar [Shatoot] Dam in Afghanistan took place over VTC on 9 February 2021. 

About  Lalander [Shatoot] Dam 

• The project is a part of the New Development Partnership between India and Afghanistan. 
• The Lalander [Shatoot] Dam would meet the safe drinking water needs of Kabul City, provide irrigation water to nearby areas, rehabilitate the existing irrigation and drainage network, aid in flood protection and management efforts in the area, and also provide electricity to the region.
• This is the second major dam being built by India in Afghanistan, after the India- Afghanistan Friendship Dam [Salma Dam], which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and the President in June 2016.
  
  

  Shahtoot Dam is a proposed dam in the Char Asiab District of Kabul Province. The establishment of the dam will provide drinking, irrigation and environmental water for the city of Kabul.The cost of this project is estimated to be about US$236 million.The feasibility study of the project had costed $1.86 million, which was completed in 2012. The return per year would be about US$2 million per year. The dam will be constructed by engineers from India.

  The Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water inked an agreement with the Poyab Company of Iran under which the Iranian firm would complete the design of Shahtoot dam.Speaking on the occasion, Ismail Khan said the Shahtoot dam will provide potable water to more than 2 million residents of Kabul, in addition to the irrigation of 4,000 hectares of land in Char Asiab and neighboring districts. The dam will also provide clean drinking water to the Deh Sabz District.(2012)