Puli Khumri


Puli Khumri, also spelled Pul-i-Khumri or Pol-e Khomri, is a city in northern Afghanistan. Located about south of Kunduz, southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif, and north of Kabul, Puli Khumri is the capital and largest city of Baghlan Province, whose name comes from the other major town in the province, Baghlan. The city of Puli Khumri has a population of 221,274. It has 6 districts and a total land area of 3,752 hectares. The total number of dwellings in the city are 24,586.

Climate

With an influence from the local steppe climate, Puli Khumri features a cold semi-arid climate under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Puli Khumri is 15.9 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 282 mm.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 28.5 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 3.0 °C.

Land use

Puli Khumri is a trading and transit hub in the region, and the second-largest city in northeastern Afghanistan after Kunduz. Agricultural lands account for the largest land use in Puli Khumri, with the majority of that land in Districts 3, 5 and 6. Districts 1 and 2 have the highest dwelling densities but District 5 is home to the most dwelling units. Puli Khumri has a diverse housing stock consisting of regular, irregular and hillside houses as well as apartment buildings.

War history

As of 2017, Taliban insurgents are active in the Dand-e-Shahabuddin part of Puli Khumri. On May 5, 2019, Taliban members stormed the city's police headquarters, killing 13 police. On September 1, 2019, Taliban assaulted the city, but were repelled by the Afghan Army.

Economy

There are two dams in Puli Khumri, which provides the necessary electricity.
Afghanistan's first cement factory was built in 1954 in Puli Khumri with financial support from Czechoslovakia. It is currently owned and operated by Afghan Invest Co., and operated by Ahmad Javid Jaihoon. The limestone is mined from the hill behind the factory.
There is a coal mine outside of the city in the village Kar-kar, but the production system is archaic.
Agriculture is very important because of the rain and temperature; wheat and rice are the main crops.

Provincial Reconstruction Team

headed a Provincial Reconstruction Team in the city until March 2013.
Electrical transmission lines built from Puli Khumri are now bringing a steady supply of electricity to Kabul.