DUSHANBE, January 23, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s efforts to develop its hydropower sector will not cause a spike in tension with neighboring Uzbekistan, Masaid Homidov, Minister of Land Reclamation and Water Resources, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 23.
“The new power plants will allow not only exporting electricity to neighboring countries but also improving water supplies to the countries of the region,” said the minister, “Therefore the construction of new hydropower plants will not affect relations with Uzbekistan.”
Homidov stressed that there is an interstate commission for rational use of water resources in the Central Asian region. “In February water resources ministers from five Central Asia’s states will meet in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat to discuss issues related to the rate of usage of water resources in the region,” the minister said.
Speaking to journalists, Yarash Pulodov, Director of the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation Studies, said that the water usage rate is set quarterly. “Thus Tajikistan currently uses 7 percent of a total flow of the Syrdarya River and it is planned to increase this figure to 13%-13.5% in future,” said Pulodov, “Kazakhstan uses 42 percent and Uzbekistan – 52 percent.” Besides, Tajikistan uses 3%-4% of water resources of the Zarafshon River and the remainder is used by Uzbekistan, according to him.
The minister told journalists that Tajikistan had fulfilled all its obligations on use of water resources. “Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has not completely fulfilled its obligations for unknown reasons,” Homidov said.
According to him, water resources ministers from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will gather in Khujand in early February to discuss use of water of the Qairoqqum reservoir. This year, we will have complete work on the rehabilitation of hydropower facilities in Isfara that were seriously damaged by last year’s mudslides,” the minister noted.
