On April 24, in Nookat and Kara-Suu districts of Osh Oblast, the opening ceremony of drinking water supply systems was held as part of the project “Improving Stability and Better Natural Resource Management in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan”, implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom (UK Aid).
In the village of Kara-Tash, Nookat district, only 23% of the population had access to clean drinking water. The remaining residents were drinking water from open canals and irrigation sources. Social institutions in the village, such as schools and kindergartens, carried water from outside areas.
The existing water supply system was built in 1972, and was designed for only 350 households. Now, the village population has grown almost five times, to 1,706 households. The lack of clean water was causing disputes among the population.
The same situation was observed in the village of Aktash, Kara-Suu district, in which only 30% of the population had access to clean drinking water. Its water supply network system was very outdated, it had been built in 1964, and, and the population had since increased five times.
“We used to receive only hourly provision of water. Some families even less, for 20-30 minutes a day. Such conditions often led to conflicts. Now, thanks to sufficient and equal water supply for all residents, there will be fewer conflicts.” says a resident of Kara-Tash.
As part of the project “Improving Stability and Better Natural Resource Management in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan”, an 11.8 kilometer water pipeline with distribution nodes was built in the village of Kara-Tash. The total cost of the project was 9,440,666 soms, of which 67% was contributed by the project, while the remaining 33% was contributed by local partners and the population. As a result, 700 households and social institutions gained access to clean drinking water.
In the village of Ak-Tash, the project supported the construction of a reservoir of 300 cubic meters, the drilling of a well, and construction of an 8.8 kilometer water pipeline for a total cost of 12,732,945 soms (74% contributed by the project, and 26% contributed by the village government and local residents). As a result of the construction, 700 households and social facilities gained access to clean drinking water.
This document and project are made possible by the generous support of the British people towards the Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF). The CSSF project is being implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation, in partnership with the Mountain Societies Development Support Programme in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Public Foundation CAMP Ala Too, Roza Otunbaeva Initiative, and the University of Central Asia.