ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 15. A total of 6.6 bcm of water has flowed into Kazakhstan's reservoirs since the beginning of the flood season, said the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurlan Nurzhigitov, during a Government meeting where he presented a report on the progress of the flood season, Trend reports.
According to him, thanks to the measures taken to ensure timely free capacity in the reservoirs, the ministry has managed to safely pass the floodwaters. To date, 6.6 billion cubic meters of floodwater have entered the country's reservoirs, of which 3.5 billion cubic meters have been discharged into rivers and lakes.
"At the moment, the situation at Kazakhstan's water management facilities is stable. All reservoirs are operating as usual. The flood season has ended in the Zhaiyk-Caspian and Tobol-Torgai water management basins (Kostanai and Aktobe regions)," said Nurlan Nurzhigitov.
Starting from April 9, environmental water releases began from the Bukhtarma Reservoir in the East Kazakhstan region to preserve the ecosystem of the Irtysh River. Reservoirs in southern Kazakhstan continue to accumulate water, and preparations for the irrigation season are underway.
"Isolated cases of flooding in settlements were mainly related to local topographical features and water flowing from fields, rather than issues with hydraulic structures. Overall, the measures taken by the ministry helped minimize risks and ensure the safe passage of floodwaters through water management facilities. A feature of this year’s floods is the shallow depth of soil freezing. As a result, meltwater was better absorbed into the ground, and the volume of surface runoff decreased, reducing the risk of flooding. Last year, due to the deep soil freezing, a large surface runoff occurred, and the meltwater did not seep into the soil," The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation stated.
Today, a government meeting is being held in Kazakhstan under
the chairmanship of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektanov, focusing on
preparations for the 2025 wildfire season and the current flood
situation in the country.
