In order to prevent water loss, concrete lining of 20 irrigation canals will be carried out in Azerbaijan, Zakir Guliyev, deputy chairman of the Melioration and Water Management of Azerbaijan OJSC, said.
He spoke about this during a media tour in the Shabran region, organized on the occasion of June 5 – the professional holiday of water management and land reclamation workers.
The total length of irrigation canals in Azerbaijan is 52,000 kilometers. Of these, 72-73% are canals laid in an earthen channel. Many of them have 100 years of history.
“Unfortunately, in such canals, water losses amount to 35-40%. However, losses in sown areas are much higher compared to canals. Because in agricultural farms, due to the uneven surface, 2-3 times more water is supplied to 1 hectare of land water. And this means loss of water and time,” Guliyev said.
Under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, there is a commission to ensure the rational use of water resources, which carefully considers such issues, he said.
“There is an actual decision on the concrete lining of 20 canals. Design and estimate work is already underway,” said the deputy chairman of Melioration and Water Management OJSC.
The construction of two reservoirs and the restoration of existing ones are envisaged in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, he added.
“In these areas, we actually have reservoirs. Of these, a feasibility study project for the Sugovushan reservoirs in the Terter region, Khachinchay in the Aghdam region and Kendelyanchay in the Fizuli region has been implemented. Most likely, tenders for their overhaul and restoration will be held in a short time. In addition, it is planned to build new reservoirs on the Bargyushadchay and Khakari rivers with a volume of 60 and 90 million cubic meters,” Guliyev said.
The Takhtakorpu reservoir is of strategic importance for Azerbaijan – this facility, along with the water supply of the northern zone, plays an important role in meeting the water needs of Sumgayit, Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, he said.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Takhtakorpu reservoir took place in 2007 with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev, and in 2013 it was put into operation.
“The water in the reservoir mainly comes from the Samur River. We managed to reliably meet the needs of the population in drinking water precisely through this reservoir, since over the past 4-5 years, due to global climate change, the water level in the Samur River has decreased. To be honest, if If this reservoir had not been put into operation, people would have had to carry water home in buckets for the last 4-5 years. The waters of the mountain rivers of the northern part of the country – Gudyalchay, Velvelechay, Gusarchay – also flow into this reservoir,” Guliyev said.
According to him, the reservoir is also significant in terms of irrigation. In the northern region of Azerbaijan, more than 50,000 hectares of land are irrigated through this reservoir, of which 30,000 hectares are new sown areas.
