Many residents of Kabul now live with deep worry as water shortages and pollution spread across the city. They say the water from their taps and wells can no longer be used for drinking, forcing families to spend thousands of Afghanis each month on bottled water. Even then, they do not always trust the quality of this water, as no one clearly knows what substances are used to purify it. Some residents say the situation has become so difficult that they have left their homes and moved to rented houses in other areas.
In interviews with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, these residents called for access to safe drinking water and strict monitoring of water purification companies. They say the lack of clean water has become one of the hardest struggles of their lives. Over the past two years, severe shortages have forced many of them to travel long distances just to find water.
Today in Kabul, children and elderly people alike walk through the narrow streets with carts and barrels, rushing to store water for their homes before the supply is cut again. The growing water crisis and limited access to safe drinking water now disrupt daily life in many parts of the capital.
District Thirteen is one of the hardest-hit areas, where residents begin lining up from early morning, each person hoping to bring home enough water for their family.
Samana, a resident of this district, arrives at a nearby tap carrying both small and large barrels. She says the struggle for clean drinking water, along with poverty and unemployment, now shapes their daily lives.
“In our alley, there is only one tap, and it gives water once every three or four days,” she says. “To collect water, we must take turns and wait for long hours, both on the road and in line. We wash clothes and finish all housework on the same day the water arrives. Sometimes we do not even have enough water to bathe. This water is not safe for drinking, cooking, or daily use. We have to buy bottled water, and families who cannot afford it are forced to use this low-quality water.”
Naseer, another resident of the district, says their well still has water, but it is no longer usable. To drink safely, they now depend on water from purification companies. “We pay 60 Afghanis every day just for drinking water,” he says. “Our well water has turned salty. It was never like this before.”
The crisis does not stop in District Thirteen. Residents of the Fifth and Sixth districts also complain about shortages and severe contamination. They buy tap water from private companies, yet the water is so polluted that they cannot use it even for cooking.
Ahmad, a resident of the Sixth District, says water reaches their homes only two days a week. Even then, it is not safe. He urges the Taliban to address the crisis before it becomes worse.
“We use that water only for washing because it is very dirty,” he says. “When we make tea, a greasy layer appears on top, or the tea breaks apart inside the cup. The authorities must take this issue seriously.”
Suhaila, from the Fifth District, speaks with fear about what the future may hold. “If things are this bad now, people will fight over water in a few years,” she says. “We spend between 1,200 and 1,400 Afghanis every month on purified water. Sometimes it tastes bitter, and we do not know how it is cleaned or how safe it really is. But we have no choice, because the tap water is undrinkable.”
Shabir, a resident of the Eighth District, says the crisis grows worse each day while the Taliban ignore it. “We once had a 36-meter well with good water,” he recalls. “Over time, the water declined. We dug deeper to 50 meters, but even that failed, and the well dried up. Now we only have one tap in the yard. For drinking water, we rely on purified water and buy each barrel for 20 Afghanis.”
Elias Rahyab, from the Eleventh District, says uncontrolled population growth, poor construction, illegal well drilling, and weak planning have pushed Kabul deeper into crisis. “Groundwater levels have dropped sharply and can no longer meet the growing needs of the people,” he says. “With their small incomes, people now buy so-called purified water from local vendors. Yet this water is unreliable in how it is produced, purified, and monitored. As a result, stomach, skin, and infectious diseases are rising across the city.”
Environmental experts also warn that while purification companies may offer temporary relief, their heavy use of Kabul’s groundwater only makes the shortage worse. They stress that no proper system exists to monitor how these companies treat and sell water.
Najibullah Sadeed, an environmental expert, says the lack of oversight has already put lives at risk. “Reports show that some people have become sick from using this water,” he says. “Why do the authorities not inspect how these companies purify water and sell it to the public? Another serious problem is pricing. Demand keeps rising, but companies increase prices without any clear standard. In mountainous areas, for example, water costs far more than in flat regions.”
Sayed Mohammad Sulaimankhil, another environmental expert, warns that this system is unfair and dangerous. “This process does not solve people’s real problems. At best, it only helps one person for a short time,” he says. “In reality, it is a betrayal of Kabul’s groundwater. While people fear empty wells and dry land, others profit from the crisis, and that is deeply unjust.”
The Taliban’s Ministry of Energy and Water has not explained how it monitors purification companies, but it says that 225 such companies are registered in Kabul.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that the water crisis in Afghanistan is becoming more severe. According to the office, rainfall has dropped below normal levels, raising serious concerns.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also warned that about 33 million people in Afghanistan lack enough water. Its findings show that forty years of war and ongoing climate change have created major challenges for the water supply.
Experts say that rapid population growth, weak laws, poor management of private water trade, and the growing number of deep wells have all helped deepen Kabul’s water crisis.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
