Heavy snowfall and freezing of the soil could cause massive flooding in Kazakhstan. This year, 255 settlements, including 127,000 houses and more than 700,000 residents, might be in the area of flooding. The Emergencies Minister reported on the regions’ readiness for the floods at the Government’s meeting. Yuri Ilyin noted that there are only a few days left before active snowmelt in southern Kazakhstan. The issue is relevant for eastern Kazakhstan as well. Especially since weather forecasters predict that the amount of precipitation and air temperature there will be above normal in March. Overall, Ilyin assured that the ministry’s forces and means in these regions had been put on high alert in advance. Preventive work is currently underway. Dams have been built and repaired in settlements, millions of cubic meters of snow have been removed, ditches have been cleared, and drainage systems have been prepared.
“The country’s Ministry of Emergency Situations together with the concerned government agencies and governors’ offices should work out a specific algorithm of actions as part of the ‘Koktem-2023’ training in case of complications of the freshet season. It is necessary to prepare the necessary stockpile of explosives and inert materials, as well as check the readiness of warning systems. Besides, it is essential to determine the locations for additional forces and means, reception points for evacuees and safe areas for the removal of farm animals,” said Alikhan Smailov, Kazakh Prime Minister.
