# Afghanistan gold rush leaves villages ruined, water poisoned 2026-08-09T05:43:00+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Afghanistan's gold mining boom, driven by the Taliban since returning to power in 2021, is devastating communities in northeastern Badakhshan province. In Pul-e-Ziri Ban valley, farmer Muhammad Amin, 74, says the river water is no longer drinkable and grass along the bank is gone. He can now feed only 15 goats, down from 40, after leasing his land to a firm that paid half of the promised $20,000 and failed to restore his fields. The provincial mines department has registered 650 to 700 companies and last year collected 112 kg of gold, but also ordered closure of 225 sites, including in Shiwa area, where a bridge, shops and a school were buried under floodwater and debris. The World Bank reports mining contracts have surged, with real growth of 25 to 30 percent annually. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: Afghanistan, Badakhshan, environment, gold mining, mining regulation, Taliban Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/afghanistan-gold-rush-leaves-villages-ruined-water-poisoned/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/afghanistan-gold-rush-leaves-villages-ruined-water-poisoned/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.