News
Adopted a program for managing water resources and the development of the irrigation sector
On August 12, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the presentation of proposals for the management of water resources and the development of the irrigation sector.
In conditions of water shortage in our region, its careful and rational use is an extremely urgent task. In Uzbekistan, constant attention is paid to this: irrigation networks are repaired, water -saving technologies are being introduced.
In particular, in 2020–2024, 60 trillions of budgetary funds and 622 million dollars of foreign investment were sent for these purposes. If in 2020 the areas where water -saving technologies were used, made up only 4 percent of the total number of irrigated lands, then by 2025 this indicator reached 50 percent.
The continuation of these efforts has developed a program for managing water resources and the development of the irrigation sector for 2025–2028.
At the presentation, responsible persons reported on measures provided for in the program.
Priority attention in the program is paid to the rational use of water resources. It is planned to reconstruct 2 551 kilometers of irrigation networks. Replacing the outdated equipment of pumping stations with a more energy-efficient ones will reduce their annual electricity consumption from 6.8 to 6.2 billion kilowatt hours.
The condition of the soil is an important factor in water consumption. Measures are provided to reduce areas with low water supply from 424 thousand to 276 thousand hectares, as well as an improvement in the state of land with a high level of salinity and the close occurrence of groundwater. Thanks to this, 460 thousand hectares of land will return to the agriculturalobot.
Water -saving technologies will be introduced for 1.4 million hectares, of which 293 thousand hectares - drip irrigation. At 20 large facilities, control and measuring equipment is modernized.
To minimize the human factor, when accounting for 12 thousand reclamation wells and 1,750 pumps, modern monitoring will be introduced. Twelve large hydraulic structures will be transferred to automated control using digital technologies.
As a result of the program, the proportion of channels with concrete coating will increase from the current 39 to 47 percent, the quality of irrigation networks will increase, water losses will decrease. It is expected that 10 billion cubic meters of water will be saved this year and up to 14 billion cubic meters by 2028.
The head of state approved these proposals and approved the program for managing water resources and the development of the irrigation sector in the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2025–2028.
During the presentation, information was also presented to increase the efficiency and digitalization of the sphere, expand the participation of the private sector.
Currently, automation of 18,755 hydroposts of regions, districts and farms has begun, the next step will be the equipment of water distribution points in the fields.
The issue of digitalization of water farming will be especially affected. It is instructed to integrate 11 industry programs into a single platform, create an IT center and a situational center with the widespread use of the capabilities of the UzbekCosmos.
The task of equipping 5,200 pumps by meters of electricity and water is set, to transfer large pumps to renewable energy sources. The data obtained will be accumulated on the digital platform, where the economic efficiency of water use will be analyzed.
Currently, 2,612 water bodies have been transferred to private management, now large pumping units with the creation of attractive conditions for investors will be offered to the private sector.
Last year, 159 state institutions of the water service were created on the basis of the district irrigation departments. To improve their activities, it is envisaged to grant them the right to independently distribute their own funds.
Since the quality of services and the effectiveness of the sphere largely depends on the qualifications of specialists, it is planned to create a training center for 200 places to improve the qualifications of workers.
The President instructed to improve the regulatory framework of the sphere, increase the efficiency of water use and strengthen in society a culture of respect for water.
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