The Kengir reservoir is returned under the control of the state

In the Ulytau region, in Kazakhstan, there is the Kengir reservoir, which plays a key role in regulating water resources for energy and irrigation needs, being one of the main assets of the region. According to the press service of the regional Prosecutor’s office, this artificial reservoir, created in 1952 and containing 319 million cubic meters of water, together with its hydraulic structures is of strategic importance, and therefore should be under the control of the state.

Unfortunately, in the past, these facilities were transferred to the balance of Kazakhmys Distribution LLP, which, in fact, contradicts the very idea of a strategic facility in private hands. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Ulytau region, concerned about this state of affairs, appealed to the Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the idea of the need to return the reservoir to state ownership.

As a result of the prosecutor’s supervision, a donation agreement was concluded and an act of acceptance and transfer of the object was signed. Now the authorized bodies face a difficult task. It is necessary to conduct a thorough multifactorial survey of the Kengir reservoir and all its hydraulic structures. This is necessary to determine the current state of the facility, identify possible risks and threats, and develop a modernization plan that will ensure safe and efficient operation of the reservoir in the long term.

The return of the Kengir reservoir to state ownership is an important step, but only the first on the way to ensuring its safety and rational use. The work ahead will require significant efforts and investments. Its successful implementation depends not only on the stable water supply of the region, but also on environmental safety, because any large hydraulic engineering structure is a potential source of risk to the environment, especially in case of improper management and operation. This is especially true in our time, when the anthropogenic impact on nature has reached a critical level, and any accident at such an object can lead to irreversible consequences.

Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)