Tajikistan demands to divide Kyrgyz Ak-Suu river. Director of the Water Department Almazbek Sokeev told 24.kg news agency.
He denied information from the Border Troops of Tajikistan that Golovnoy water distributor is located on their territory.
«The water distributor is located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and is at the disposal of Batkenvodokanal. Water comes from Ak-Suu river, which is filled by rivers of the Kyrgyz mountains. Golovnoy has never been on the territory of Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan has always used its water resources together with its neighbors, without violating bilateral agreements,» Almazbek Sokeev said.
According to him, the water resources of Central Asia are regulated in accordance with the protocol signed in 1992 in Almaty and the Nukus Declaration dated 1995.
«At least 37 percent of the water coming from Ak-Suu river is used by Kyrgyzstan. It is used to irrigate 11,000 hectares of land. And 55 percent of water from Ak-Suu river is used by Tajikistan for irrigation of 21,300 hectares, 8 percent — by Uzbekistan for 1,600 hectares. As it is known, Tortkul reservoir is also replenished from this river,» the Director of the Water Department told.
Almazbek Sokeev notes that previously there were no problems between neighbors in the use of water resources of Kyrgyzstan.
«Now Tajikistan is demanding to divide Ak-Suu river. It’s impossible. We are against. Previously, the neighbors did not claim it, at least they did not speak so openly. Kyrgyzstan intends to continue good-neighborly relations with neighboring countries on the use of water resources,» he said.
The Border Troops of the Republic of Tajikistan sent out a press release today, which says that the water intake Golovnoy is located far from the settlements of Kyrgyzstan. They declare that in accordance with the maps of 1924-1927 and 1989, this hydro structure is entirely located on the territory of Tajikistan.
However, it is not true. According to the archival documents of the Soviet period, «the head water distribution structure (water intake unit of the irrigation system of Isfara river) was built in 1970 (commissioned in 1973) on the territory of Batken district of Osh region of the Kyrgyz USSR by the Batken Oshvodostroy Trust by order of the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources of the Kirghiz USSR.»
Another border incident began yesterday after the Tajik side started to install CCTV cameras on an electric pole near Golovnoy water distribution point in Kok-Tash village of Batken region. Local residents demanded to remove the equipment. After a verbal skirmish, the parties began to throw stones at each other.
