The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has begun a crackdown on violations in water resource management, the so-called “black market” for water, and corruption risks in the water sector.
According to the press service of the department, the first inspection of the “Kazvodkhoz” branches began in the Zhambyl Region. The audit revealed around 10 instances of illegal use of water resources.
According to estimates by the founder of the FBRC and agricultural expert Kirill Pavlov, the turnover of the black market for irrigation water in just three regions – Zhambyl, Turkestan and Kyzylorda – could exceed 20 billion tenge per year.
Thus, in the Zhambyl District, the audit identified 2 cases of water use without concluding contracts with the branch, by installing pumping equipment to irrigate around 70 hectares. In the Shu District, 2 cases of illegal water use for irrigating around 90 hectares of land were identified.
Also in the Shu District, water was illegally taken from the Asotkel main canal to fill the excavation of a former sand quarry. During the irrigation season, the volume of water supplied to the quarry could be at least 15 million cubic metres, amounting to around 13 million tenge. Furthermore, at the time of inspection, 5 pumping units for irrigation were found at the excavation site.
In addition, in the Shu District, the audit found that the volumes of irrigation water supplied by the branch were understated in the concluded contracts. For example, in 2023, the branch and a farming enterprise signed a contract to supply 2.7 million cubic metres of irrigation water via canals for growing onions on an area of 200 hectares. However, considering the approved standards, irrigating 200 hectares of onion fields requires 3.1 million cubic metres of water. Thus, the branch understated the water consumption by 0.4 million cubic metres.
“As a result, just in 2023, the understated volumes of supplied irrigation water amounted to more than 25 million cubic metres. In turn, the difference between the water supplied to the canals and the water sold was recorded as losses,” the statement says.
At the same time, in contracts concluded by the branch in the Zhambyl District last year, the specific water consumption rates were overstated.
“In several instances, the concluded contracts for the supply of water via canals between the branch and farming enterprises lack title documents for the land plots. The branch did not pay due attention to the documents submitted by applicants. Thus, in the Shu District, contracts were concluded with one individual on behalf of several farming enterprises, which is effectively illegal,” the department reported.
In turn, the official representative of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Moldir Abdualiyeva, stated that materials on all identified instances of illegal water use will be sent to the authorised bodies.
Earlier, it was reported that the former chair of the Supreme Audit Chamber, Natalya Godunova, stated that since 2017, the EBRD and the Islamic Development Bank have been financing 61 projects of “Kazvodkhoz” worth $317 million. However, according to her, the loans attracted for projects in the water supply sector are being implemented inefficiently.