Water Ministry Sends Advisor to Coordinate Water Supply in Turkistan Region

An advisor to the Minister of Water Resources, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, has arrived in the Turkistan Region to address irrigation water shortages.

The Ministry says the situation is now under control, reports Orda.kz.

According to the Ministry, the advisor is overseeing water distribution in three districts: Jetisay, Maktaaral, and Shardara. Officials stated that conditions in Jetisay District have stabilized and that irrigation water is being supplied via the Dostyq interstate canal in line with agreements with neighboring countries.

Water is flowing through the Dostyq canal according to schedule and is being divided between two districts in Turkistan Region — Jetisay and Maktaaral. The situation has stabilized, and the Minister’s advisor is on-site,
the Ministry explained.

Local farmers also reported that water began arriving after negotiations between Kazakhstan’s Ministry and Uzbekistan.

It’s not as much as we would like. We can see there is less water this year compared to last. Now we need to deliver water in phases, starting with the areas that need it most,
 said farmer Shadat Omarov.

Water is now being distributed to the most affected areas in Jetisay District. Farms located in the lower reaches of the Dostyq canal are being prioritized.

The main issue now is water distribution. It’s not possible to supply everyone at once. We need to approach this with understanding. An operational task force has been set up in the region to manage the issue,
 commented district council member Tursynbay Berdaliyev

Previous reports indicated that farmers in the Turkistan Region faced serious irrigation issues. 

While the Dostyq canal was expected to deliver 80 cubic meters of water per second, actual flow rates dropped to 32 cubic meters per second, 2.5 times lower than planned.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny