Bishkek, Jan. 26, 2026 /Kabar/. Important project is being prepared for implementation to prevent irrigation water shortages in the country. Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Bakyt Torobaev announced in an interview with journalists.
According to the minister, negotiations between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development regarding financing for the concreting of the water supply canal of the western branch of Big Chui Canal have been successfully completed. The project to reduce water losses in the second Big Chui Canal (BCC), and the corresponding agreement is currently being prepared.
The estimated cost of the project is 37 million euros.
"Currently, irrigation water losses during delivery through BCC reach 50-55 percent." "Concreting the canal beds will significantly reduce these losses and ensure a full water supply to irrigated agricultural lands. Furthermore, concreting will prevent water from seeping into the ground and spreading through subsurface layers, which, in turn, will create conditions for draining the wetlands in the lower zone of the canal," the statement says.
It is emphasized that this will open up opportunities for engaging these areas in agricultural production, developing horticulture, and reclaiming land for development and creating new settlements near existing ones.