(21 January 2026 | Source: KTK TV channel)
Residents of at least six villages in the Zhambyl Region are forced to buy hay from other regions, as local pastures have been without irrigation water for about 10 years.
WHAT IS HAPPENING
As reported by KTK TV channel, residents of at least six villages in the Sarysu District have complained about a shortage of fodder due to a lack of irrigation water. For example, Mukhamediya Syzdykov from the village of Zhailma said he is forced to transport hay from Kyzylorda, which significantly increases the cost of keeping livestock. As a result, fellow villagers have begun to give up raising cows and sheep.
WHERE HAS THE WATER GONE
The water supply problem, locals claim, has not been resolved for 10 years. This is despite the fact that, according to elders, their district once had many rivers and lakes. But today, as Ondasyn Duisenbekov from the village of Shagalaly claims, water has even begun to disappear from wells.
The villagers believe that someone may be redirecting the water. They link this to the emergence of fish farms in the area. No official confirmation of this version is provided in the reports.
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE PRECIPITATION
The director of the Zhambyl branch of the state enterprise "Kazvodkhoz", Kairat Amanov, refuted people's assumptions. According to him, the main reason for the water shortage was weather conditions and low rainfall, which reduced the inflow of water resources.
Kairat Amanov assured that work is underway. For instance, in the Sarysu District, the riverbed has been cleared for the first time in 30 years. And in the Talas District, the construction of a reservoir is planned to begin this year.
According to representatives of the water authority, these measures should improve the situation; however, specific timelines for changes are not specified.