According to the farmers, work on replacing old pipes in the Zhel-Tiybes area began in August 2025, but new pipes have still not arrived in the necessary quantities, and the replacement process has effectively not started. Local residents are concerned that spring fieldwork will begin next month. If irrigation water is not supplied, it will lead to losses for farmers who have already taken out loans for planting, as well as leaving the land uncultivated.
A meeting of farmers expressing their concerns called on the Ministry of Agriculture and the Chairman of the State Committee for National Security, Kamchybek Tashiev, to take control of the situation and expedite the necessary work.
Dastan Nuradin uulu, one of the farmers, noted that in the Zhel-Tiybes area, farmers irrigate their fields using water supplied through pipes from a pumping station built back in the 1970s. He mentioned that during the irrigation season, water is supplied for only four months, and farmers pay for this through the water management enterprise. Last year, a tender was announced for the upgrade of pumping equipment, and work began in August. However, it has been delayed and is now completely halted. Farmers have reached out to both the rural administration and the district water management authorities, but to no avail.
Uch-Korgon is a warm region where spring arrives early. Farmers are preparing for planting, and since agriculture is their main source of income, many of them take out loans from banks to purchase seeds and fertilizers. If the work is not completed on time, many farmers may incur significant losses and will be forced to seek employment outside the region.
The head of the district water management office reported that it is unlikely that the work will be completed this year, and irrigation will be carried out through the old pipes, which are already worn out and have leaks. This could lead to water, supplied under high pressure, being lost or the pipes bursting. Dastan Nuradin uulu added that a large number of pipes are required for the replacement, but less than 200 meters have been delivered, as the factory in Russia cannot release them in full volume.
The Aksy district has 18,796 hectares of arable land, of which 8,400 hectares are irrigated. The Uch-Korgon valley has a warm climate, allowing local farmers to plant vegetables and melons from early spring.
It is reported that the project for upgrading the pipes was prepared by the Water Resources Service under the Ministry of Agriculture and has a cost of 288 million soms. The work has begun but has been suspended for a number of reasons, with completion planned by December 2026. Shekerbek Kamchybek uulu, the head of the department, noted that two lines of pipes with a total length of 5,600 meters have been laid in the Zhel-Tiybes area, as well as a smaller diameter system for supplying water over 76 km. A tender was held last year, and work began with the company "Engineering Protection," but problems with the supply of pipes due to non-compliance with standards led to delays.
According to the management, there are no grounds for concern regarding the lack of irrigation water in the upcoming season, and local farmers can be assured of the water supply for their fields.
