DUSHANBE, September 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — The reservoir powering the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP) is filled with water to the max level that is 910 meters above sea level, Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Tajikistan) told Asia-Plus on September 17.
“The current rate of inflow of water to the Vakhsh River is some 1,000 cubic meter per second while the current water discharge rate is some 300-350 meters per second,” he said.
The reservoir formed by the Norak Dam, known simply as Norak, is the largest reservoir in Tajikistan with a capacity of 10.5 cubic kilometers. The reservoir is over 70 kilometers in length, and has a surface area of 98 square kilometers. Stored water is also used for irrigation of local agricultural land. Irrigation water is transported 14 kilometers through the Dangara irrigation tunnel and is used to irrigate about 700 square kilometers of farmland.
According to Yodgori, electricity supplies during autumn-winter period will not be worse than last year.
Electricity rationing is usually introduced in Tajikistan in November and lasts through April next year. Measures seeking to curb the country’s rising electricity consumption are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe. In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the Norak reservoir.
