ASTANA — Water collected in reservoirs will be used for agricultural and industrial needs, reported by the press service of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation on May 3.
Photo credit: gov.kz
Specialists in the West Kazakhstan Region are carrying out the safe passage of flood waters, as the region experiences its second wave of floods. The region’s four large reservoirs are 90% full.
The ministry diverted 400 million cubic meters of flood water to the Ural-Kushum irrigation and water supply system of the West Kazakhstan Region. It is planned to direct another 200 million cubic meters of water in the near future. This will provide water to more than 65,000 hectares of hayfields and summer pastures, as well as fill reservoirs located along the system.
Work is also underway to direct water to lakes Edilsor, Zhaltyrkol, Birkazan, Sorkol, Saltanat, and other reservoirs of the West Kazakhstan Region, which have been facing drying out in recent years.
“One of the ministry’s tasks is the accumulation of flood water in reservoirs for further use in agriculture and industry. Large reservoirs in many regions are 100% full, but this does not mean that there is a risk of overflow and flooding. Water that exceeds the norms is discharged in safe quantities into rivers and canals and used in agriculture and industry,” said Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation.
The ministry also diverted nearly one billion cubic meters of floodwater to the Caspian Sea along the Zhaiyk River.
In the Akmola Region, two large reservoirs are 100% full. Both facilities are operating as usual. The peak of the flood has passed, and approximately 4.75 million cubic meters of water per day are being diverted from the Astana protective dam into the Yessil River.
In the North Kazakhstan Region, two large reservoirs are 100% full and are operating in transit mode. The second wave of flooding on the Yessil River is ongoing. The level of the Yessil River within the city of Petropavlovsk stands at 1,208 centimeters, showing a decrease of 30 centimeters over the course of the day.
In the Aktobe Region, the average filling of two large reservoirs is 96%, and both facilities are operating as normally. The peak of the flood has passed.
In the East Kazakhstan Region, the average filling of two large reservoirs is around 83%, and flooding persists. Meanwhile, in the Abai Region, the Shulbinskoye reservoir is 44.4% full, with floods continuing in the region.
In the Karagandy Region, three large reservoirs are 98.5% full, and they are operating as usual. The peak of the flood has passed. Similarly in the Kostanai Region, the average filling of two large reservoirs stands at 92%, with both facilities operating normally. The region’s flood has passed its peak.
