Kabul residents lack drinking water due to plunging groundwater levels

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 27 : Due to plunging groundwater levels, several provinces of Afghanistan have been facing a critical issue of availability of potable water as a lack of drinking water has become a challenge for Kabul residents.
Some residents of Bala Koh of the Bagrami district say they have to walk a long way to obtain it, according to TOLOnews.
"It has been three years that we brought water from there, and water is so scarce there sometimes, my children are old and cannot bring water for us--that is not time for work, that is their time to study," said Momena, a Kabul resident as she highlighted the gruesome situation.
According to elders, most people leave this region for a lack of water.
"Private companies don't give us water so there is one water well ... most people leave this region," TOLOnews reported Ibrahim Alamdad, community leader as saying.
There are 500 families living in the area and they say because of economic challenges they cannot buy water every time and cannot move to another place. Previously, water resources management experts in Afghanistan said groundwater dropped this year more than the previous year.
Due to the excessive use of water, groundwater levels have dropped by 50 per cent in Kabul since the start of 2022.
As Afghanistan is struggling with a series of crises, including drought, its people have recently welcomed the heavy rainfall and snow across the country. However, due to floods and avalanches, many people have suffered physical harm and financial loss across the country due to the extreme weather.