This year, for the first time in the last 5 years, the plan of water supply to the Aral Sea during the irrigation period was fulfilled almost 100%. 977 million cubic metres of water were directed, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.
If in recent years only 350-400 million cubic metres of water was delivered to the sea, since the beginning of the year the volume has exceeded 2 billion cubic metres, and it is planned to send about 500 million by the end of the year.
"Today, the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea is 22 billion cubic metres. Before that, 7-10 cubic metres of water per second flowed into the sea during the irrigation period, this year it is 10 times more - 60-70 cubic metres per second,"Deputy Head of the Aral-Syrdarya Basin Inspectorate Zeinolla Kaztoganov said.
In addition, more than 45m cubic metres of water was diverted to lakes Akshatau, Sorgak and Kamystybas. This has had a positive impact on fisheries and tourism. For example, the salinity of the Aral Sea decreased and the fish population increased. After the sea dried up, the fishermen's catch barely reached 400 tonnes a year. Now they catch up to 7.5-8 thousand tonnes of fish.
Kuntugan Turganbayev, a 76-year-old fisherman from Karateren village, has been fishing all his life. The arrival of water has brought prospects to his native land, he said.
"I've been fishing all my life. With the arrival of water, the fish have come to life. There are more fish this year than last year. If we keep the Aral Sea at its present level, the fishery will develop," he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, together with the World Bank, is drafting the second phase of the Northern Aral Sea Conservation Programme, which will focus on sustainable water supply and the development of economic and social initiatives.