The President of Kyrgyzstan spoke about irrigation in Kyrgyzstan, the construction of new hydropower stations and the provision of water to neighboring countries. He voiced his point of view in an interview with Kabar state news agency.
According to him, the daily and ten-day regulation ponds built in the past have not been cleaned. Due to insufficient water accumulation, farmers felt water shortage during the irrigation season.
«This year we are cleaning them all. Besides, I have instructed to begin construction of new daily and ten-day regulation ponds across the country. These ponds are primarily beneficial to our downstream neighbors as there are disputes over flowing water during the irrigation season. If we collect melt water in the daily and ten-day regulation ponds in winter, the river water will completely flow to our neighbors starting from spring. That is, they will receive even more water than before,» Sadyr Japarov said.
During the irrigation season, our farmers will be able to use water from the ponds, while our neighbors will use running water.
President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov
«Last time you saw how water flooded Bishkek. Due to the lack of upper daily regulation ponds, water flowed into the city, causing flooding of streets. If there were ponds, this water could have been saved. This is happening in every region of our country. If we could stock up on water in winter, our neighbors would have enough,» the head of state said.
He also emphasized that Kyrgyzstan is striving to put the water that runs off uselessly in winter to good use so that there will be no disputes later.
We will give our neighbors as much water as they need. That’s the way it will be.
President Sadyr Japarov
He cited the construction of Kambarata HPP-1 as an example. The President is confident that the neighbors will benefit from this hydroelectric power plant in the form of water resources. Kyrgyzstan benefits only from electricity. The republic uses only 1 percent of Naryn River for irrigation and drinking water. 99 percent goes to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
«When Kambarata HPP-1 is completed, we will be able to use it for electricity in winter, and during the irrigation season give our neighbors enough water collected at Toktogul HPP. Now we use Toktogul HPP to produce electricity in winter, but in summer we have to suspend its operation. Because if we don’t store water for the next winter, we will be left without electricity,» Sadyr Japarov said.
«We are working to solve these problems. We think not only about ourselves, but also about our neighbors. Since we are eternal neighbors, we should think about the most important issues. And it is absurd to argue that «we are at the head of water and we will not give water». We are all brotherly people, eternal neighbors and in many respects we depend on each other. I will not list everything, people know it very well themselves,» he concluded.
