Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov visited the Aral district of the Kyzylorda region, where he familiarised himself with the progress of work to restore the Kokaral Dam.
According to the press service of the regional akimat, in May 2019, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government and the regional akimat to take urgent measures to restore Kokaral.
In this regard, experts developed the project "Preservation of the Kokaral Dam and Restoration of the Syr Darya River Delta" costing 4.5 billion tenge. The project was commissioned by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, with the contractor being the Kyzylorda branch of the RSE on RHP "Kazvodkhoz". The project is planned to be implemented by 2026. Financing is being carried out in stages.
It has become known that within the framework of the project, the damaged parts of the dam are to be restored, and two channels are to be built to the sea via Lake Karashalan and one via Lake Tushchi. This is expected to ensure constant water circulation in the southern part of the Small Aral.
"It is anticipated that the major project in the field of preserving the ecosystem of the Aral district and the efficient use of water resources will have a beneficial effect on improving the well-being and quality of life of the local population," the conclusion states.
It should be recalled that in April last year, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation reported that at least 537 hydraulic structures (GTS) in Kazakhstan, designed to hold water, are in need of repair.
Incidentally, in February 2025, the Tasqyn flood forecasting system was put into operation. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation promised that the first forecasts would appear in early March, but, as practice has shown, even these vague predictions did not help prevent the numerous floodings that occurred in various regions of the country.
Reality refuted the department's optimistic reports: serious flooding was observed in several regions at once (North Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Kostanay, Akmola, East Kazakhstan regions). Roads were washed out, settlements were flooded, and transport links were disrupted.
Entire villages were left isolated, while the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov spoke about the "effectiveness" of Tasqyn. At the same time, the actual cost of the forecasting system and the specific results of its work remain unknown.