On February 28, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Erlis Akunbekov made a working trip to the Chui region to familiarize himself with the state of the irrigation infrastructure. This was reported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The purpose of the visit was to conduct a detailed study of the condition of water management facilities in the region, assess ongoing reconstruction and construction works, and check the measures being taken to improve the supply of irrigation water to farmers.
During the trip, the minister visited the Moscow district, where he reviewed the works being carried out at the Spartak Reservoir and the Ak-Suu distribution drainage network. Responsible officials provided information on the technical condition of the reservoir, the level of siltation, and its operational efficiency.
He also visited the Jayil district, where he inspected the Kara-Baltin and Stepninsk reservoirs. These facilities are crucial for ensuring stable water supply to irrigated lands and serve thousands of hectares of agricultural land.
Special attention during the trip was given to the condition of the reservoirs. The minister noted that many of them had not been cleaned for the past 50 years, which significantly reduced their design capacity.
For instance, a reservoir designed for 4 million 300 thousand cubic meters currently holds only about 2 million cubic meters. At the same time, it supplies water to 2,100 hectares of irrigated land. According to economic calculations, the existing volume is insufficient for full water supply. Additional volumes of water come from the Big Chui Canal and the Kara-Balta River.
“Our main task is to bring the existing reservoirs into order, clean them, restore their design capacity, and increase their operational efficiency before starting new constructions,” emphasized Erlis Akunbekov.
As a result of the trip, recommendations were made for modernizing the irrigation infrastructure, phased cleaning and reconstruction of reservoirs, as well as for the rational and efficient use of water resources.
The implementation of these measures will ensure uninterrupted supply of irrigation water to farmers, enhance the sustainability of agricultural production, and strengthen the agricultural potential of the region.
