Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov stated that the Kengir Reservoir in the Ulytau region will be returned to state ownership.
According to the ministry's press service, the facility should be transferred to the balance sheet of the state enterprise «Kazvodkhoz», which falls under the department, by the end of the year.
It is reported that the Kengir Reservoir is the largest in the Ulytau region. Its volume is 319 million cubic metres. It is the main source of water in the region.
However, local residents are concerned about the quality of the water there, its inefficient use, and the associated environmental issues.
«The hydraulic structures at the facility are in a deplorable state. By returning the reservoir to state ownership, we will first conduct a multi-factor survey to determine further measures to address the existing problems», noted Nurzhigitov.
Incidentally, during the floods in April it became known that 537 hydraulic structures in Kazakhstan, intended for water retention, are in need of repair.
To recall, in December last year, former Chairwoman of the Supreme Audit Chamber Natalya Godunova stated that since 2017 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as the Islamic Development Bank, have been financing 61 projects of «Kazvodkhoz» to the amount of $317 million. However, according to her, the loans received for implementing projects in the water supply sector are being used inefficiently.