To address the problem of irrigation water shortages in Kyrgyzstan, a significant project is being developed. Bakyt Torobaev, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, announced this in an interview with journalists.
He noted that within the framework of the program to reduce water losses in the Second Big Chui Canal (BChK), negotiations between the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on financing the concreting of the water supply channel of the Western branch of the Big Chui Canal have been successfully completed, and the preparation of the relevant agreement is currently underway.
The estimated cost of this project is 37 million euros.
“Water losses during the supply through the BChK currently reach 50-55 percent. Concreting the channel beds will significantly reduce these losses and ensure a stable water supply for irrigated lands. It will also prevent water from filtering into the soil and spreading into underground layers, creating conditions for draining marshy areas in the lower part of the canal,” the statement said.This, in turn, will create opportunities for using these lands in agriculture, developing horticulture, and exploring new areas for construction and the establishment of new settlements near existing ones.
