The Development Initiative

Clearing the way for Business and People

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Battle Area Clearance in Afghanistan

BACKGROUND

A multinational US construction company building a new 100-megawatt power station on the outskirts of Kabul contracted TDI in 2008 to provide demining support to its construction crews. The task was complicated by the fact that the area to be cleared was a former military firing range and in order to fit into the client’s construction schedule, TDI had to deploy in the middle of the harsh Afghan winter.

ACTION

TDI used a combination of mechanical and manual teams and recruited a group of local national Afghan Deminers. In order to deal with the frozen ground TDI deployed an armoured excavator, which was able to penetrate the frozen layer of ground, lifting soil and spreading it in an area where the Deminers using metal detectors could search it.

Temperatures well below freezing did not deter the Deminers who were the only team working in Afghanistan at the time.

OUTCOME

TDI completed the task within schedule and, as a result, the power plant moved into full production.

TESTIMONIALS