In the latest symbol of Indian investment in its South Asian neighbour, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a multi-million-dollar dam in the province of Herat, in western Afghanistan that will bring power, irrigate 75,000 hectares of land, generate 42 MW of electricity, and stimulate agriculture and industry in Afghanistan. The dam was built with Indian aid at a cost of $300 million.

In Afghanistan, the Dam has been met with optimism and has become a significant infrastructure investment by India in the strategically important province, which reflects India’s strong commitment to reconstruction in the war-ravaged country. The project involved more than 1,500 Indian and Afghan engineers for more than a decade. According to NDTV, much of the equipment was dispatched by India via Iran’s Bander-e-Abbas port and then along 1,200 kilometres by road to Islam Kila border post between Iran and Afghanistan, and from there to the site, the equipment travelled 300 kilometres by road.

“It is [a] symbol of our friendship and would usher in hope, light up homes, nourish the fertile fields of Heart and bring prosperity to the people of the region,” Indian Prime Minister Modi said in a social media post while departing to inaugurate the dam in Afghanistan.

In return, thousands of Afghans expressed their gratitude by visiting the Indian consulate in Herat to thank Indian officials for their involvement in the reconstruction project. According to the India Times, they took out processions, sang Bollywood songs, and carried a 100-metre tricolour, along with their own national flag, on the streets of Afghanistan to express their appreciation for India’s effort to rebuild Afghanistan’s infrastructure.

President Ghani hailed the dam as a symbol of bilateral ties with India, which it has cultivated as a balance to neighbouring Pakistan that has been accused of supporting the Taliban insurgency. The “Salma Dam is another big step in deepening and broadening the relationship between Afghanistan and India,” Ghani said on Twitter.

According to the Indian Express, Afghanistan has also awarded Prime Minister Modi “its highest civilian award, in recognition of the sustained support provided to the country by three successive governments.” In return, the Prime Minister said India’s cooperation will extend to “every part” of the war-torn country and that the partnership will benefit every section of Afghan society.

India has a strategic partnership with Afghanistan and is implementing projects worth $2 billion to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure. The Prime Minister also touched upon India’s investment in the Chahbahar port in Iran, stating that it will give Afghanistan a new route to the world and a new path to prosperity.

In Afghanistan, Modi highlighted the peace process, praised the role of Afghani soldiers in the terrorist attack on Indian Consulate in Herat, and the reconstruction activities in the war torn nation. “When the values that define Afghans prevail, terrorism and extremism will be in retreat… we know that extremism and terrorism cannot stop at your border or end at the boundaries of our region,” he said.

“This dam has not been built by bricks and mortar, but by the faith of our friendship and the valour of Afghans and Indians,” Modi added.