The Union Cabinet also approved a Rs 746.79 crore project to upgrade the 217 kilometre road from Zaranj to Delaram along the Herat-Kandahar route in Afghanistan. Once completed, the road will link Zaranj, which lies on the Iran-Afghanistan border, to Delaram on the garland highway which links Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz. The highway will link Zaranj to several Afghan cities and provide the land-locked country a precious lifeline. The project, being executed by the Border Roads Organisation, will also provide Afghanistan an alternate route to an Iranian seaport, reducing its dependence on Pakistan. The road will also allow India to have improved access to Afghanistan and Central Asia and further strengthen bilateral ties.
