Turkmenistan creates man-made lake in Karakum desert
By Aynur Jafarova
Turkmenistan continues construction of the second stage of the man-made Altyn Asyr Lake in the Central Karakum desert. The lake is being constructed since 2009, Turkmen Dovlat Khabarlary reported.
According to the report, this unprecedented and large-scale project has significant importance not only for Turkmenistan, but also for the Central Asia in general.
The hydrotechnical complex is allocated for collection of mineralized collector drainage water from the agricultural lands of all regions of the country.
It is expected to allow improving the condition of irrigated lands, to solve various problems, related with the salinization of soil, swamping and drought.
The construction of the man-made lake will be conducted in three stages. Within the first stage of the project two large drainages - Dashoghuz with length of 381 kilometers and main collector with length of 720 kilometers - were launched through Karakum.
The main collector takes its beginning from the eastern part of the country, Lebap province and runs through the territory of Mary, Akhal and Balkan provinces. These drains collect drainage water practically from all territory of the country to the Karashor natural depression, located in the north of Karakum, almost on the junction of three provinces - Balkan, Dashoghuz and Akhal.
Implementation of the first stage of the project allows preventing discharge of drainage water from the left bank to the Amu Darya River and in future completely eliminating the discharge of drainage water from irrigated territories of Turkmenistan to the Amu Darya River, improving sanitary conditions and water supply for economic needs of the population, reducing the level of drainage water in Kyol and Deryalyk collectors and improving land reclamation conditions of irrigated territories in the Dashoghuz province and entering the desert pastures to circulation.
According to local Turkmen media, thanks to this project, the country creates ensured water reserve which in perspective would be used for needs of agricultural complex due to natural filtration and use of modern technologies.
In future, creation of the man-made Altyn Asyr will allow using the reservoirs and routes of drain collectors for development of fishery in the country.
The system of drain collectors will be expanded within the implementation of the second stage of the project in order not only drain saline water from the oasis, but also to allow its repeated use.
Earlier President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov
made a working visit to the construction site of the Altyn Asyr
Lake to see the progress in the implementation of the project.
Efficient management of water resources is one of the key
priorities of Turkmenistan's policy.