Kazakhstan: Next Wave of Spring Floods Expected

Kazakhstan is entering the next phase of spring flooding, Orda.kz reports.

This time, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has identified the North Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan regions as the most at risk.

The next stage of flooding is expected in the North and East Kazakhstan regions, where preventive measures are actively continuing,
Vice Minister for Emergency Situations Kegen Tursynbayev said during a government meeting. 

According to Tursynbayev, reserve personnel and equipment, including military units, have already been deployed to these regions.

Despite the mobilization, the overall situation remains difficult.

Since the beginning of the flood season:

• Around 4.3 million cubic meters of water have been pumped out
  
• More than 600,000 sandbags have been filled
  
• Over 800 kilometers of drainage ditches have been cleared
  
• 383 people have been evacuated
  
• More than 51,000 head of livestock have been relocated
  
• 176 road overflows and 25 washouts have been recorded

The Aqmola region was hit especially hard last week due to a surge of meltwater and rain, which flooded residential areas.

The existing drainage systems could not handle such a volume of water,
the Vice Minister admitted. 

Additional emergency teams from Astana, the Qaraganda region, and military units were dispatched to assist with evacuations and rescue operations.

For the settlements of Aqmola region that were temporarily left without transport links, a ferry has been organized, and there is a food supply. At present, the water level in local rivers is decreasing.

Original Author: Zhadra Zhulmukhametova