Takyr-Tor dam breakthrough: a reason to think about dam safety
An emergency occurred in the Issyk-Ata district of the Chui region of Kyrgyzstan — on June 27, at about 17:31, the dam of the high-altitude lake Takyr-Tor was breached. A powerful stream of water gushing out of the lake completely washed away the automobile bridge, which was a key transport artery between the villages of Almaluu and Kebek-Biy, also known as “Gornaya Serafimovka”. Traffic on this section of the road is completely blocked, emergency services are working on site, which are engaged in clearing debris and preparing for restoration work.
Due to the direct threat to the population, a large-scale evacuation was carried out. About 950 local residents were promptly removed from the area of possible flooding. The buildings of the local school, mosque, cultural center and boarding school were used for their temporary accommodation. 11 minibuses provided by the Mayor’s office of Kant and another 8 minibuses from the district transport service took part in the evacuation operation, which indicates a coordinated response by the authorities.
At the moment, according to the headquarters, the water level has stabilized, and the threat of further flooding has passed. Fortunately, residential buildings and other civil infrastructure facilities, with the exception of the washed-away bridge, were not damaged. To assess the scale of the incident and coordinate actions at the highest level, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, Adylbek Kasymaliev, flew over the affected area. The leadership of the emergency response operation is entrusted to the Minister of Emergency Situations Boobek Azhikeyev, who provides enhanced control over the situation.
The breakthrough of the dam on Takyr-Tor Lake has become an alarming reminder of the potential risks that any hydraulic engineering structure carries. Regardless of the size and purpose — whether it is a dam of a small dam or a dam of a giant hydroelectric power station — such objects accumulate enormous water energy. Any miscalculation in the design, violation of construction technology or insufficient maintenance can lead to catastrophic consequences. For Kyrgyzstan, where the construction of new hydroelectric power plants is currently actively underway, this incident serves as a serious warning about the need for strict compliance with safety standards, constant monitoring of the condition of existing facilities and a thorough examination of all new projects.
Original (in Russian): Прорыв дамбы Такыр-Тор: повод задуматься о безопасности плотин
