Officials of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project in the country said so far they have completed 45 percent of the land acquisition process of the project in five provinces. But the process is facing some problems. They said that an authoritative committee should be assigned to overcome the land acquisition problems along the planned route of the pipeline. “The acquisition of the land is a challenge because much of the land located on the route of the pipeline is privately owned. In some cases, the dispute over the land is referred to court,” said a legal advisor of TAPI in Afghanistan.
The TAPI gas pipeline project was inaugurated by the leaders of four countries at the beginning of 2016. The work on the Turkmenistan section of the project was completed in February 2016, and work on the Afghanistan section kicked off in Herat province in the west of the country. The project is very important to Afghanistan in terms of income, the economy and employment opportunities. The 1,814-kilometer gas pipeline will pass through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. At least 800 kilometers of the pipeline will pass through the territory of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s share from TAPI
Afghanistan is expected to earn about USD 400 million in transit duties annually from the project. According to the Office of the President of Afghanistan, TAPI project will create thousands of job opportunities. Afghanistan will annually get 500 million cubic meters of gas in the first 10 years. The amount will increase to one billion cubic meters of gas in the following ten years and 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas in the third 10 years after the completion of the project.
Other projects included in TAPI
The TAPI project was recently changed into a collective of other projects which will be implemented alongside this key initiative for Afghanistan.
-The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan 500 kilovolts Line (TAP-500) will transfer Turkmenistan’s electricity to Pakistan through Afghanistan. According to Ghani’s office, Afghanistan is expected to earn more than USD 100 million annually from the TAP project. Three substations will be established in Herat, Farah and Kandahar provinces.
-An optic fiber will also connect regional and neighboring countries under the TAPI project.
-Another major part of the project is the national and regional railway which connects Pakistan and Turkmenistan through Afghanistan.
The TAPI gas pipeline project was inaugurated by the leaders of four countries at the beginning of 2016. The work on the Turkmenistan section of the project was completed in February 2016, and work on the Afghanistan section kicked off in Herat province in the west of the country. The project is very important to Afghanistan in terms of income, the economy and employment opportunities. The 1,814-kilometer gas pipeline will pass through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. At least 800 kilometers of the pipeline will pass through the territory of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s share from TAPI
Afghanistan is expected to earn about USD 400 million in transit duties annually from the project. According to the Office of the President of Afghanistan, TAPI project will create thousands of job opportunities. Afghanistan will annually get 500 million cubic meters of gas in the first 10 years. The amount will increase to one billion cubic meters of gas in the following ten years and 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas in the third 10 years after the completion of the project.
Other projects included in TAPI
The TAPI project was recently changed into a collective of other projects which will be implemented alongside this key initiative for Afghanistan.
-The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan 500 kilovolts Line (TAP-500) will transfer Turkmenistan’s electricity to Pakistan through Afghanistan. According to Ghani’s office, Afghanistan is expected to earn more than USD 100 million annually from the TAP project. Three substations will be established in Herat, Farah and Kandahar provinces.
-An optic fiber will also connect regional and neighboring countries under the TAPI project.
-Another major part of the project is the national and regional railway which connects Pakistan and Turkmenistan through Afghanistan.