Measures defined to improve drinking water supply in the regions

On October 23, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting on improving the regions’ drinking water supply and sewerage systems and planting food crops.

The issue of drinking water supply has a special place in the regional and social development programs implemented in the country. Reducing production costs is essential to ensure the quality and stability of the services provided.
The analysis shows that today, the cost of 1 cubic meter of drinking water in Tashkent is 448 UZS, while in Namangan – almost 3,000 UZS, and in Samarkand and Navoi – 2,600 UZS.
The share of electricity in the cost of water production averages 27 percent across the country. But this figure is high in Fergana, Namangan, and Tashkent regions.
As is known, to expand the use of alternative energy sources, solar panels are being installed in enterprises, organizations, and homes. However, water utilities consume 880 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and are not taking sufficient steps to switch to renewable sources.
The Head of state, having set the regional hokims the task of reducing the cost of drinking water, noted that the most significant help is obtaining part of the electricity consumed by water management enterprises from green sources.
For example, now water supply companies buy 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity for an average of 900 UZS. The price of electricity produced at solar stations averages 350-400 UZS, that is, more than 2 times cheaper. By attracting investors, solar panels can be installed on empty plots around hydraulic structures.
The need to replace old pumps with energy-saving analogs was also noted.
The possibilities for revising the cost of water management projects and localizing the materials used in them were listed.
It has been determined that new projects in this area will be submitted to local councils after studying them and receiving opinions and approval from residents. All information about how much money is allocated for the project, which company is the contractor, and when it will be launched is subject to public disclosure. Thus, public control will be strengthened.
Measures for planting crops in the inter-rows of vineyards and orchards were also discussed at the meeting.
Uzbekistan has 331 thousand hectares of orchards and 153 thousand hectares of vineyards. Suppose you plant onions, garlic, carrots, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers in the fields between the rows. In that case, this will be an additional source of saturation of markets and income for the population.
In this regard, it is planned to plant vegetables on 92 thousand hectares by the end of the year using the “ninety days” method, providing seeds and water. Research institutes within the Ministry of Agriculture will provide scientific advice on selecting climate-appropriate crop types and agricultural technology.
At the meeting, reports were heard from industry leaders and regional hokims on the agenda issues.

UzA