After consecutive low water years, in 1980 the Aral Sea basin states faced to serious problems in water resources management. To solve conflict situations and to improve water allocation among the states in a context of an extreme water shortage, the Ministry of Reclamation and Water Resources of the former USSR formed two basin water organizations — BWO “Amudarya” and BWO “Syrdarya”. The presence of skilled specialists and a direct relation with the Ministries of Water Resources of the republics allowed to improve water resources management, to introduce order in water allocation, taken water volumes limitation and water accounting for a short time.

After the collapse of the USSR, to ensure effective water resources management, the Ministries of Water Resources of the five Central Asian states approved “Agreement on joint water resources management” in respect to the Aral Sea basin as a result of a series of negotiations, meetings and discussions. Interstate Coordination Water Commission (ICWC) with its executive bodies — BWO “Amudarya” and BWO “Syrdarya” — was established. This Agreement, signed in Almaty on 18 February 1992, and other documents and acts, accepted by Central Asian states in the last years, are the basis for interstate water resources management. 

BWO “Syrdarya” is responsible for transboundary water resources management and interstate water allocation from Toktogul reservoir to the border of Kazakhstan (Chardara reservoir). Besides, BWO “Syrdarya” along with the Committees for the Environment, hydro meteorological services and sanitary inspections of the states control Syrdarya river water quality.

The organization has headworks on Syrdarya river and its main tributaries: Uchkurgan waterwork with a capacity of 3000 m3/sec on Naryn river, Kuyganyar waterwork with a capacity of 1400 m3/sec on Karadarya river, Verkhnechirchikskiy waterwork with a capacity of 1800 m3/sec on Chirchik river, etc., and also canals of interstate significance (first of all, “Dustlik” canal and Big Fergana canal head). BWO has at its command 198 hydraulic structures, 21 of which are located on the main channels of Naryn, Syrdaya, Karadarya and Chirchik rivers. The capacity of the structures is between 20 and 3000 m3/sec, and the discharges of the structures on “Dustlik”, Big Fergana and South Golodnostepskiy canals reach 350 m3/sec.

The main water user in Syrdarya region is irrigated farming, area of which is 3.380 million ha. 1.730 million ha of area is irrigated directly from the river. More over, water is supplied to meet industrial, domestic and environmental needs and to the Aral Sea. Account of water withdrawal from rivers and canals is carried out in 445 points, including 21 head intakes, 36 stationary pumping plants and 172 temporary pumping plants. Account of river waters is fulfilled mainly by hydro meteorological services of the states, and on intakes – by BWO “Syrdarya” and other water bodies in the region.

BWO “Syrdarya” central apparatus in Tashkent exercises control through territorial administrations in accordance with Naryn-Syrdarya reservoir cascade operation modes and water intake limits, confirmed by ICWC for non-vegetation (October-March) and vegetation (April-September) periods of each hydrological year, and territorial administrations — further through waterworks administrations.

“Syrdarya” Basin Water Organization consists of:

Naryn-Karadarya waterworks administration in Kuyganyar, Andijan oblast;
Golodnostepskiy waterworks and “Dustlik” canal administration in Gulistan, Syrdarya oblast;
Verkhnechirchikskiy waterworks administration in Chirchik, Tashkent oblast;
Charvak reservoir administration in Charvak, Tashkent oblast;
Toktogul reservoir administration.

The BWO also includes Uchkurgan mobile mechanized unit, Gulistan mobile mechanized unit, transport firm and agricultural subdivision. Total number of BWO employees is 1050.

To know more about BWO “Syrdarya” activity please visit
http://www.icwc-aral.uz/bwosyr.htm

Address:
11, Karasu-4, Tashkent,
100 187, Republic of Uzbekistan
Tel (998 71) 265-82-42
Fax (998 71) 265-73-45
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it