“Su-Bashy is one of the two main sources in the Batken district, providing 1 cubic meter of water during the warm months. Last year, the district water committee put into operation a 14-kilometer canal. The reasons for the spring drying up may be related to natural factors, and it is difficult to determine them precisely. But such a situation has not been observed before. We have recorded a decrease in water levels and have started restoration work, but it is too early to draw any conclusions. It may be worth waiting until April-May when the water level may increase. We hope the water will return to its previous volume,” shared Sultanbek Ermatov, head of the Batken district water management.
Previously, the spring supplied water to about 3,500 people in Kara-Bulak for drinking and irrigation needs. In the winter of 2023, water did not arrive for the first time; however, local authorities assure that the complete disappearance of water is unlikely, as the level also dropped last winter. “Water may appear, but in smaller volumes,” they added.
“Most likely, the spring is not at risk of complete disappearance. In recent years, the water level has decreased in winter, but this year it has completely disappeared. We hope it will return in April-May. If water does appear, its volume will be limited. There is another source in the village — Kara-Suu, and if we use it rationally for irrigation, it should be enough. However, this is insufficient for full-scale agriculture, so we are conducting awareness-raising work with the population, calling for conservation and the implementation of drip irrigation. The problem of water scarcity affects other regions as well. Additionally, we are testing artificial ice mountains for pastures, and if this project proves successful, we will expand it. In our village, groundwater is inaccessible as it is located at great depths, and local residents will not be able to extract water from a depth of 100 meters,” reported Abdilakim Mansurov, head of the Su-Bashy rural administration.
“Our researcher Joro proposed increasing the water volume in the spring, but government structures did not support his initiative. Nevertheless, local residents have tried for two consecutive years to extract water in the Dönmön pasture, but unsuccessfully. If this does not succeed, we hope that experts will help find a solution for extracting water in Kara if they can present a project with technical solutions. This is extremely necessary, as the water in the spring is insufficient for agriculture. We also suspect that the pipe coming from the spring is installed too low, which hinders water collection, and the leafy vegetation may block its flow,” said Kara-Bulak resident Aslan Üsönov.
