DUSHANBE, July 24, 2014, Asia-Plus — The reservoir of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) will fill with water only at the expense of water intake quota set for Tajikistan, Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda told journalists in Dushanbe on July 23.
According to him, the downstream countries in the Central Asian region have no cause for concern that they will face water shortages.
“The World Bank’s resolutions clearly note that the Roghun reservoir must fill with water during sixteen years. Every year, 0.8 cubic kilometer of water will be collected at the expense of the water intake quota set for Tajikistan,” the minister said.
“Every year, Tajikistan uses water 1.2 cubic kilometers less than established and the Roghun reservoir will fill with water at the expense of this volume,” Usmonzoda noted.
Under the Nukus Declaration, the water intake quota for Tajikistan is established at 13.16 cubic kilometers per year.
We will recall that during his visit to Karakalpakstan autonomous republic, Uzbek President Islam Karimov noted on October 8, 2010 that if Tajikistan goes on to complete Roghun as planned, it would leave Uzbekistan facing water shortages for eight years until Roghun dam filled with water.
Tashkent has asked Russia and the United Nations to pressure Dushanbe to stop the Roghun hydroelectricity project.
