Kazakhstan’s special services are
making early preparations for the flood period, as announced by Kazakh Minister
for Emergency Situations Syrym Sharipkhanov at the government’s meeting.
According to him, the flood risks have been minimized in more than 600
settlements with over 455,000 residents and completely removed in 214
settlements in the country. Also, 25 kilometers of temporary dams and 57
kilometers of embankments have been built since the beginning of the year.
About 5,000 kilometers of canals, 6,000 kilometers of ditches, 15,000 roads and
over 3,000 railway culverts have been cleaned. The Kazakh Government together
with local executive bodies made adjustments in the list of flood-prone areas. Besides,
Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov instructed to develop a digital platform
for flood modeling in all regions of the country.
“We are intentionally considering
the issue of preparing for the flood period in advance. Spring is a long way
off, however, all preparations must be completed before the winter. There is no
room for mistakes, unperformed work and underfunding, especially when it comes
to flooding. A significant delay in the implementation of the roadmap will
inevitably lead to its non-fulfillment. This, in turn, will increase the risk
of flooding and cause material damage to the population. As a matter of
priority, the relevant state agencies need to strengthen monitoring of the
implementation of flood control measures planned by the year end,” Smailov said.
