Kabul, Aug 23 (EFE).- Wells running dry, families queuing for a single bucket, and drilling costs soaring beyond reach – the Afghan capital is racing toward a future where by 2030 it could run out of water altogether, experts warn.
With his well and those of his neighbors already dry, 65-year-old Mohammad Halim now survives by begging for a bucket of water each day in Kabul.
The Afghan capital’s water table has sunk to depths equivalent to a 40-story skyscraper, leaving the city on the edge of collapse.
Halim’s struggle is that of an entire city.
At dawn in District 6, 16-year-old Aslam pushes a cart with empty barrels.
“No one cares about us. Day and night, all we think about is finding water. Those with money can dig deep wells, but those without wander in misery in search of it,” he told EFE.
In District 13, Rahima, 20, waits with her little brother outside the home of a wealthy man to fill their barrels from a pipe. Her frustration is directed at the Taliban.
“They forbid us to study and work ‘to protect our honor,’ but they allow us to wander the streets in search of water. They ban what makes life easier, but allow what makes it miserable,” she said.
For many families, the only option is costly water tankers.
“A truck costs between 2,000 and 2,500 afghanis ($28–$35) and lasts only a couple of days,” said Basit Ali from District 6.
“We can afford drinking water, but there are hundreds of other needs. We have been complaining for years, but officials don’t care about people’s suffering.”
A race to the bottom of the earth Kabul is drilling itself into crisis. “In the past, people dug wells 70 to 80 meters deep. Now they go down 200, 300, even 400 meters. Fifteen years ago the water table was at 40 meters, today it’s 150,” said Khairuddin, a drilling machine operator.
The cost is beyond reach for commoner: a 250-meter well with pipes and equipment exceeds $4,000, equal to the annual budget of many middle-class families and unattainable for the majority living below the poverty line.
Experts warn of collapse “If this crisis is not resolved, Kabul could become ruins and face severe drought and famine by 2030,” warned water management specialist Karimuddin Kateb, citing World Bank projections.
Kateb blamed systemic mismanagement. “All the water used in homes, businesses, car washes and industries comes from underground wells dug without professionalism. In small plots of 200 square meters, 20 apartments are built, multiplying consumption twentyfold. Groundwater, meant for drinking, is used for everything.”
Another expert, Samiullah Jabarkhil, said the disaster is worsening daily. “The government is handling this very superficially, while underground reserves continue to deplete without being replenished.”
Promise, but thirst does not wait Taliban officials acknowledge the severity. “There is no doubt, the crisis is severe, catastrophic and very serious,” said Asadullah Milad, advisor to the Ministry of Water and Energy.
The ministry’s spokesman, Matiullah Abid, pointed to long-term plans such as building the Lalandar dam and diverting water from the Panjshir river.
But he downplayed the most alarming predictions and criticized international organizations for not implementing large-scale projects.
Meanwhile, on the streets of more than a dozen districts, families still wake each morning to the same struggle. For Halim, Aslam, Rahima and millions more, “day zero” is not a forecast, it is a daily reality. EFE
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