Additional funding of $1.3 billion has been planned in Uzbekistan for the further development of water supply and sewage infrastructure. The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, participated in a presentation dedicated to the development of drinking water supply and wastewater disposal systems.
Goals and Achievements
In the coming years, state bodies aim to raise the coverage of centralized water supply to 90% and the urban sewage system to 80%. Over the past years, investments in this area have increased tenfold, reaching a volume of $2.7 billion. Thanks to these investments, the share of the population provided with centralized drinking water supply has grown from 63% in 2017 to nearly 83%.
During this period, 7.7 million residents gained access to water for the first time, the quality of supply improved for 11 million people, and 1.1 million residents were connected to the sewage system. The total length of constructed and repaired networks includes 39 thousand kilometers of water pipelines and 3,200 kilometers of sewage networks.
Current Tasks and Projects
To achieve the set goals, additional funds of $1.3 billion need to be attracted. However, the president noted that the current system for preparing and implementing projects does not provide sufficient operational speed to solve accumulated problems. For example, 107 billion soms were recently allocated to address sewage problems in Andijan, and work has begun in the Sergeli district of Tashkent to install modern filters to combat unpleasant odors.
Special attention is paid to the project of supplying drinking water from the Tupalang reservoir. Water pipelines have already been extended to Termez, and by the end of the year, it is planned to supply Sherabadsky, Muzrabadsky, Angorsky, and Jarkurgansky districts of Surkhandarya region with water. At the meeting, the task was set to provide centralized water supply to another 513 mahallas and improve the water supply quality in 3,000 mahallas. Authorities also intend to replace 232 thousand water distribution columns with direct household connections to the networks.
Planned Work for the End of the Year
By the end of the current year, projects totaling $600 million are expected to be implemented in the country. These projects include the construction of 1,600 kilometers of water pipelines and 387 kilometers of sewage networks, as well as the construction of 80 water supply facilities and 29 sewage facilities. As a result of this work, 310 thousand residents of 107 mahallas will receive centralized drinking water supply for the first time, and the water supply quality for 2.5 million people in 453 mahallas will significantly improve.
Furthermore, the president ordered the acceleration of the implementation of a $217 million project related to supplying drinking water from the Ghissarak reservoir in Kashkadarya region. After the completion of this project, residents of Kamashinsky, Guzarsky, and Karshinsky districts, as well as the city of Karshi itself, will be provided with quality water supply. It was also ordered to accelerate the signing of credit and grant agreements for projects in Fergana, Surkhandarya, and Jizzakh regions, and to complete negotiations with foreign partners on six projects totaling $317 million by September 1.
