DUSHANBE, July 18, Asia-Plus — Minister of Land Reclamation and Water Resources Abduqohir Nazriov told a press conference in Dushanbe on July 17 that Tajikistan has still failed to regulate a flow of the Panj River.
As a result of this, the government has to annually provide big money for river bank reinforcement works, according to him.
“This year, works on reinforcement of banks of the Panj River and rehabilitation of the Chubek water-intake facility and the Dehqonobod canal in the Hamadoni district have been completed,” said the minister, “The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Tajikistan have provided US$7.5 million and US$1.3 million respectively for these purposes.”
“If Tajikistan has mechanisms of regulating the Panj River’s flow it will be able to prevent emergencies and save considerable funds,” the minister said, noting that his ministry annually spends big money to maintain existing equipment in proper state.
We cannot afford to purchase new equipment because water users have not repaid their debts to the ministry,” Mr. Nazirov stressed.
