The Shirin Tagab River is a river in Afghanistan, and travels before ending in an inland delta around
Andkhoi.
The river's watershed has 504 settlements with a population of 605972, and covers the majority of
Faryab Province
Faryab (Dari: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, which is located in the north of the country bordering neighboring Turkmenistan. It has a population of about 1,109,223, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The pr ...
.
Downstream, the river is brackish/saltwater. In addition, the river is a source of water-borne diseases.
Course
The river begins flowing west in the eastern part of
Bilchiragh District, and is joined by the river Chashma-i Khwab near the district center, after the Chashma has flowed through scenic rapids.
The Tagab then turns north, flowing through the northeast corner of
Pashtun Kot District and western
Khwaja Sabz Posh District. As it enters
Shirin Tagab District, the river is joined by the Astana river. At Araba, an irrigation canal takes the majority of the river's water. Then, near Pata Baba in
Dawlat Abad District
Dawlat Abad is a district in Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The population of the district was estimated 95,800 in 2009.
The centre of the district is the town of Dawlat Abad (population 5000), located at , 447 m altitude, on the route from Sheb ...
, it is joined by the Shor Darya River, which carries the water from the Almar, Qaysar, and Maimana rivers. The Shirin Tagab then dissipates around the city of
Andkhoy, on the edge of the
Dasht-i Shortepa.
The river used to run to the
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya, tk, Amyderýa/ uz, Amudaryo// tg, Амударё, Amudaryo ps, , tr, Ceyhun / Amu Derya grc, Ὦξος, Ôxos (also called the Amu, Amo River and historically known by its Latin name or Greek ) is a major river in Central Asi ...
before the development of irrigation and the diversion of water.
Economy
Most of the river's water is used for irrigation. Sometimes, the large amount of water being diverted leaves the natural waterway nearly dry; little water reaches Andkhoy in the summer months.
About of its watershed is cultivated, and another 6,000 serving as rangeland.
References
External links
Astana River Valley StudyStreamflow Characteristics at Streamgages in Northern Afghanistan and Selected LocationsMap of Watersheds in Afghanistan
{{Faryab Province
Rivers of Afghanistan
Landforms of Faryab Province