A new project through the Kabul Municipality Government is clearing out waste in the Kabul River. Funded by USAID, the $3.5 million project provides temporary employment for urban residents who lack a sufficient income to buy food for their families.
More than 1,500 men and women were recruited from provinces throughout the nation to clean 11 kilometers of the Kabul River in northeast Kabul. The first round of garbage collection started on October 15 and provided employment opportunities to 2,738 laborers. Each laborer is employed for 40 days, earns $6 a day, and is paid once every 10 days through a voucher system.
“The Kabul River cleaning project will contribute to maintaining a clean body of water through the center of Kabul, as well as being a clean source for irrigation for the country’s agriculture,” said USAID Mission Director William M. Frej. “We are proud to be sponsoring this project for the city of Kabul, and for the city’s residents.”