Most dams in the east of Kazakhstan require urgent repair
More than 80% of hydraulic structures on the balance sheet of the municipal enterprise “Shygys su Koymalary” in the East Kazakhstan region require urgent repair or complete reconstruction. Of the 33 dams and one regulator lock operated by the enterprise, only five facilities were recognized as serviceable and not in need of repair. The remaining 28 structures pose a potential threat and need urgent restoration measures. This was announced by the head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of East Kazakhstan Region Arman Esentayev at the regular XXII session of the regional maslikhat.
The authorities of the region have already begun to solve the most acute problems. In 2024, the development of design and estimate documentation for the overhaul of the Lailinskoye reservoir in the Samar district was completed, for which 7.3 million tenge was allocated, and its multifactorial examination was carried out at a cost of 7 million tenge. Currently, the project documentation is undergoing state examination, after which it will be possible to start repair work. In addition, safety declarations totaling 72 million tenge have been developed for six hydraulic structures of the third hazard class. This affected the reservoirs on the rivers Dresvyanka, Zhartas, Tayynty, Peschanka, Ulanka and the Eshkibai reservoir. The current repair of two dams in Shemonaikhinsky and Glubokovsky districts has been carried out.
According to expert recommendations, reconstruction of the Lailinskoye reservoir is a priority task. This year, 67 million tenge has already been allocated from the regional budget to start developing project documentation for five more important facilities. This list includes a storage pond on the Makhovka River, reservoirs on the Ablaketka, Dresvyanka, Tayynty rivers, as well as the Yeshkinbai reservoir. To complete the design work and obtain state expertise on these five dams, an additional 108.4 million tenge will be required next year.
Special attention needs to be paid to the reservoir on the Ulanka River in the Ulan district, for the design of the repair of which 45 million tenge is needed. Thus, the total need for financing only for the development of documentation for six priority dams is 229 million tenge, not counting the cost of the construction and installation works themselves.
The problem of deterioration of hydraulic structures is not limited to objects that are on the balance sheet of “Shygys su koimalary”. Another 24 similar structures are under the jurisdiction of district akimats. According to the requirements of the Water Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, local authorities are required to approve and coordinate with the basin water inspectorate the modes of use of these facilities and issue permits for special water use. This work by the akimats of the districts should be started in the near future.
To complete the picture, it is worth noting that there are about 60 more hydraulic structures in republican ownership in the territory of the East Kazakhstan region, including six large reservoirs, seven waterworks, 43 canals and two shipping locks. The scale of the problem requires an integrated approach and significant investments at all levels of management to ensure the safety of the region’s water infrastructure.
Original (in Russian): Большинство плотин на востоке Казахстана требуют срочного ремонта
