President familiarizes with implementation of irrigation and clean water supply projects

Bishkek, Sept.18, 2019. /Kabar/. Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov received Director of the State Agency for Water Resources under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic Kokumbek Tashtanaliyev, and Director of the Department of Development of Drinking Water Supply and Sewerage under the State Agency for Water Resources Askarbek Toktoshev.
The press service of the Kyrgyz President reported that current situation and problems of the water sector, activities and priority plans for reconstruction and expansion of irrigation and drinking water supply systems in the country were discussed.
President Jeenbekov reminded the ambitious task of providing clean water to all villages of the country until 2023 has been set.
He also stressed the need to intensify the work on attracting grant funds for these purposes and to carry out all the work done.
Also among the major infrastructural projects for the next year is the necessity of construction of a pipe in the village of Maksat in Leilek region, Batken Oblast with water supply to the Arkinsky massif, which will allow to introduce an additional 1800 hectares of irrigated land.
Director of the State Agency for Water Resources Kokumbek Tashtanaliyev informed that 31 out of 46 irrigation objects, laid down in the State Irrigation Development Program, have been determined as a priority for the period till 2023. As of today, works on 2 irrigation objects have been completed, reconstruction and construction is being carried out on 14 objects.
He added the work is being done also at the expense of international development partners to reduce the burden on the state budget.
The state agency director added that with the completion of 46 irrigation facilities under the State Irrigation Development Programme, it will be possible to introduce 65 thousand hectares of new irrigated land, increase water availability on 51 thousand hectares of irrigated land, improve the melioration capacity on 50 thousand hectares of land, and transfer 9.5 thousand hectares of land from pumping stations to gravity irrigation. In addition, there will be an opportunity to create about 245 thousand new jobs.
Director of the Department of Development of Drinking Water Supply and Sewerage under the State Agency for Water Resources Askarbek Toktoshev informed active work on attraction of funds from international development partners for implementation of clean water projects is underway, mainly from the EBRD, the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, etc.
Toktoshev emphasized that there are enough funds available to provide clean water to all villages of the country until 2023. Of the 653 villages in the country in need of clean water in 2018, 69 were provided, and 44 are planned to be provided with clean water by the end of 2019.