Reservoirs Worth 20 Billion Tenge Returned to State Ownership in Almaty Region

The Almaty Region Prosecutor’s Office has reclaimed eight reservoirs previously under private management, citing violations of maintenance agreements, Orda.kz reports.

They ignored contractual obligations to maintain reservoirs in proper technical condition. In particular, they did not inspect water management systems and structures,  the Prosecutor's Office stated.

This could have put both public safety and the environment at risk.

Contracts with all eight private managers were terminated, and the reservoirs were returned to state ownership.

Experts are now conducting technical inspections of the facilities. The prosecutor’s office estimates the total value of the reclaimed reservoirs to be 20 billion tenge.

Concerns over mismanagement escalated after the Voroshilovsky Reservoir dam burst in 2024, causing severe flooding risks. At the time, two villages with a combined population of 12,000 were under threat.

This reservoir was also under the trust management of a private entrepreneur.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin