Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Karakalpakstan uses 5 billion 700 million cubic meters of water to irrigate 417,000 hectares of agricultural land, with 38%, or 2 billion 100 million cubic meters, lost, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting on the socio-economic development of the region in Nukus.
Mirziyoyev said 44 million cubic meters out of the 115 million cubic meters of water that pass annually through the Yonbosh Canal in Turtkul are lost. According to him, fully concreting the canal would provide water to an additional 9,000 hectares and create a feed base for 15,000 head of cattle.
The president said concreting an 8-kilometer section of the Erkindaryo Canal in Bozatau district would increase the area of land in use by 3,000 hectares and improve water supply to 15,000 hectares. The construction of three hydraulic structures and 22 artesian wells would create an additional 5,000 hectares of pasture for livestock feed, he said.
Mirziyoyev instructed that a total of 135 billion soums be allocated for the work and that the concreting of the two canals be completed by 1 March. In Turtkul and Bozatau district, 17,000 hectares are to be planted with fodder crops next year, providing income for 2,000 people, he said.
The president positively assessed the attraction of a US$4.5 million grant from Japan to modernize water management facilities and set a target of increasing the volume of such grants to US$100 million next year.
He also said that 276 water pumps were replaced with energy-efficient models last year using 30 billion soums. The replacements allow 16 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to be saved annually. By 1 April, another 59 pumps in Karakalpakstan and 200 pumps in other regions are to be upgraded.
