Bishkek, March 2. 2026 /Kabar/. On February 28, Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, made a working visit to Chui oblast to review the current state of irrigation infrastructure on the ground.
According to Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic, main purpose of the visit was to examine the actual condition of water management facilities in the region, assess the progress of reconstruction and construction work, and learn about measures being taken to improve the supply of irrigation water to farmers.
As part of his working visit, the minister visited the Moskovsky district, where he inspected the work being carried out at the Spartakovskoye Reservoir and the Ak-Suu distribution drainage network (DDN). Responsible officials presented information on the technical condition of the reservoir, the volume of siltation, and the efficiency of its operation.
He then visited the Zhaiyl District, where he inspected the operations of the Kara-Balta and Stepninskoye Reservoirs. These facilities play a vital role in ensuring a sustainable water supply for irrigated lands and serve thousands of hectares of agricultural land.
During the visit, particular attention was paid to the current condition of the reservoirs. According to the minister, many of them have not been cleaned for the past 50 years, significantly reducing their design capacity.
For example, the reservoir, designed to hold 4.3 million cubic meters of water, currently actually stores approximately 2 million cubic meters. It supplies 2,100 hectares of irrigated land. According to economic calculations, the existing capacity is insufficient for full water supply. Additional water is supplied from the Bolshoi Chuisky Canal and the Kara-Balta River.
"Our key task before beginning new construction is to restore the existing reservoirs to their design capacity, clean them, restore their design capacity, and improve operational efficiency," emphasized Erlist Akunbekov.
Following the working visit, relevant instructions were issued to modernize irrigation infrastructure, gradually clean and reconstruct reservoirs, and ensure the rational and efficient use of water resources.
Implementation of these measures will ensure an uninterrupted supply of irrigation water to farms, improve the sustainability of agricultural production, and strengthen the region's agricultural potential.