Flood control: Kazakh PM sets tasks

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ASTANA. KAZINFORM The Kazakh Prime Minister, Alikhan Smailov, instructed governors of regions to speed snow removal, as this year poses a significant risk of flooding due to heavy snowfalls and deep soil freezing, Kazinform reports.

The Prime Minister said as of today over 11 million cubic meters of snow was removed from rural settlements as of today. At the same time, some regions do not work collecting and removing snow. Smailov noted lack of drainage and irrigation canals, embankments led to the aggravation of the flood situation in the country’s southern regions this year.

The Prime Minister stressed that this year Atyrau region braced for flooding to the rapid melting of snow and heavy precipitations.

During the meeting, Alikhan Smailov charged the Industry Ministry and akimats of regions to further build up roads, bridges, and water release structures to handle large flows of water. The Prime Minister warned that meteorologists forecast above-normal air temperature and precipitations in southern and eastern regions of Kazakhstan in March.

The Emergency Situations Ministry, concerned state bodies and akimats are instructed to work out a scheme in case of flooding, check alert systems, to define evacuation centers and safer places for farm animals.

The Ecology Ministry and akimats are assigned to work out measures to repair municipal, private, and derelict waterworks.

As earlier reported, above 700,000 people remain in Kazakhstan in areas at risk of flooding.

The Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry divided the regions according to the varying levels of flood risk.

Akmola, Aktobe, Almaty, Atyrau, East Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Kostanay, North Kazakhstan, Turkistan, Abai, and Zhetysu regions are defined as regions at high risk of flooding, while Ulytau and Pavlodar regions are at moderate flood risk.

«As of today 255 rural settlements or more than 127,000 homes and some 700,000 people are exposed to flood risks,» the minister told the Government meeting.


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