Farmers Near Baiseit Report Water Shortages for Crops

Farmers in the Yenbekshikazakh district of Almaty region say their crops are struggling due to a lack of water.

According to them, low pressure in the pump system means water from the Big Almaty Canal is reaching fields only intermittently.

An Orda.kz correspondent visited the fields near the village of Baiseit to see the situation firsthand.

Low Pressure Issues

Farmer Alexander says it is difficult to watch plants planted in the spring begin to dry out.

He explains that for water to reach all the fields through the irrigation system, the regulation reservoir needs to be filled around the clock and supply water under pressure.

There is a large pipe underground. After the water flows out from here, it enters an underground pipeline and is divided into three branches. The water flowing here should collect in this place, it should not leak further. In this case, water pressure is created. And the pressure is bad now, this is the main problem,
 Alexander Said.

The edge of the reservoir is also starting to crumble, which he attributes to constant water flow.

Now the decrease in water in the Big Almaty Canal is explained by a lack of water. But in the spring they reassured us: don't worry, they say, in the summer the water will be supplied in full.

An Ongoing Problem

Alexander noted that the regulation reservoir has been in use since the Soviet period and has never been repaired, despite repeated promises.

He said the pressure dropped about two weeks ago.

Farmers reported the issue to the water management department, and while the situation briefly improved, within days the pressure dropped again.

Ministry Response

The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation responded to Orda.kz’s request for comment.

Officials explained that fields near Baiseit are irrigated from the Bartogay Reservoir, where water levels have recently dropped. As a result, irrigation is now provided on a rotation basis: six days for the Shelek region, followed by six days for districts bordering the Big Almaty Canal.

One of the main problems is that crop rotation areas range from 50 to 100 hectares and are distributed among small farms - from five to 50 hectares. In addition, crop rotation is not observed, monocultures such as soybeans or corn prevail,
the Ministry reported.

Officials added that a project has been developed to reconstruct several sections of the “Main Canal named after D. A. Qonayev – BAK” in the Yenbekshikazakh district, with completion expected in December 2025.

For farmers in the Baiseit Valley, however, the question remains how to preserve their crops this season.

Orda.kz will continue to follow the situation.

Original Author: Islam Aden