Band E Sardeh Dam, Embankment dam in Andar District, Ghazni, Afghanistan
Band E Sardeh is an embankment dam in Andar District that creates a large reservoir with storage capacity for 260 million cubic meters of water. The stored water flows out through a main canal and two branch canals to serve irrigation areas downstream.
Soviet engineers built the dam in 1967 during the reign of Mohammad Zahir Shah as part of a development partnership between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. It was constructed during a broader period of infrastructure expansion across the country.
The dam transformed how local farmers manage water for their fields, shaping daily agricultural work across the region. The reservoir's role in irrigation has become part of how communities in the area plan their crops and growing seasons.
The dam is best visited during drier months when road conditions are more manageable for access. Visitors should check local conditions beforehand and plan to travel with local guides who know the area well.
A military airport built nearby in the 1980s made this location strategically important during Afghanistan's conflicts. This history still shapes how the site is understood by those who know the region.
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