Kazakh PM assigns to set up regional water risk management headquarters
The Kazakh Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, held a meeting on the progress of the crop season, Kazinform News Agency cites the Government’s press service.
Those present focused on the current situation countrywide and southern regions that account for 97% of water consumption, the introduction of water-saving technologies, the transfer to less moisture-retentive crops, and others.
Water Resources Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, governors of Turkistan, Zhably, Kyzylorda, Almaty and Zhetysu regions made reports.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to the situation on Shu, Talas and Syrdariya rivers and ensuring transparency in water distribution.
The PM said providing farmers with water resources and meeting the agricultural needs claim heightened attention.
He stressed the need to transfer to proactive water risk management with a focus on efficiency, cost effectiveness and interagency collaboration. He assigned the governors of regions to coordinate activities of water supply organizations to provide farmers with irrigation water, comply with irrigation technologies, irrigation sequence and reuse of collector-drainage water. He also tasked to set up regional water risk management headquarters for the crop season involving interested state bodies and farmers’ associations and heighten control over illegal use of water and intensify efforts to identify violations.
Olzhas Bektenov tasked the Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries on transboundary rivers, strengthen control over water supply limits and repair works at facilities.
