In the Aral Sea region, large-scale work continues to save and modernize the Kokaral Dam — a key hydraulic structure on which the future of the Northern Aral Sea depends, reports the press service of the akimat of the Kyzylorda region. The progress of the strategic project was inspected by the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov during a working trip to the Aral region.
The project, called «Preservation of the Kokaral Dam and restoration of the Syr Darya River Delta», is a direct fulfillment of the instructions of the head of state given back in May 2019. The task was then set to take urgent measures to prevent the destruction of the dam and the further revival of the region’s ecosystem. The total cost of the work, designed for the period from 2022 to 2026, is 4.5 billion tenge, which are allocated in stages. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is responsible for implementation, and the direct executor is the Kyzylorda branch of the RSE «Kazvodkhoz».
As part of the project, it is planned not only to strengthen and restore damaged sections of the dam, but also to significantly improve the hydrological regime of the Northern Aral Sea. For this purpose, three new canals will be laid: two of them will connect the sea with Lake Karashalan, and another — with Lake Tushchi. This measure, according to the project developers, will create a constant circulation of water in the southern part of the reservoir, preventing its stagnation, increasing mineralization and contributing to the improvement of the entire water system.
