On the Koksu River in the Zhetysu region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the water level has risen sharply, the akimat of the Kerbulak region reported. In this regard, work on the construction of temporary culverts at the Rudnichny hydroelectric power stations, which are planned to be built on the river section, has been suspended.

The akimat noted that the increase in water level was caused by a sharp increase in temperature and a volley of water inflow into the riverbed.

«As a result, the water level in the temporary bypass canal exceeded the design values, – the department reported. –In order to prevent erosion of the temporary canal, as well as to avoid damage to construction equipment, an operational decision was made to open the upper and lower dam of the main bed of the Koksu River to allow an increased volume of water to pass through».

Further work on the hydraulic structure was suspended until the end of the flood period, the akimat added.

«The Koksu River currently does not pose a danger to the environment and the population», – the department also reported.

On Wednesday, videos began to spread on social networks showing that with the rise in water levels, the river washed away part of the concrete structures from the site where preparations for the construction of a hydroelectric power station are underway, the publication «Vlast» reports.

Mine HPP-1 and HPP-2 are being built by the company Energobildservice LLP, its ultimate beneficiaries «co-owner » Elitstroy Group– Kairat Orazbekov, businessman Alen Baygazin and the KAZ Minerals holding, owned by billionaire Vladimir Kim and partners. The project is part of the Ministry of Energy’s plan, according to which seven hydroelectric power plants are planned to be built on the Koksu River. Social activists, archaeologists, ecologists and athletes from Almaty and the Zhetysu region oppose their construction. They claim that the Koksu River is mudflow-prone, and the construction of many hydroelectric power stations carries risks both for the ecology of the region and for the accumulations of petroglyphs located in the river valley. The akimat of the Kerbulak region states that the project will attract investment and create jobs.