Sardoba Reservoir is a water storage facility located in the Sirdaryo region of Uzbekistan. It was built in the area traversed by the central canal of the Southern Mirzachul aqueduct in 2017. It failed catastrophically in 2020.
The construction of the water reservoir began in 2010 and was completed in 2017. Its purpose was to utilize the fertile lands of Sirdaryo and Jizzakh regions and increase the crop yields of rural farmers. The creation of a catchment area around the reservoir was also considered during the construction phase. [1] The construction of the water reservoir involved the participation of more than 10 subcontracting companies, including "Sirdaryo Water Construction Invest" JSC (under the Ministry of Water Economy), "UzGip" LLC (designer), and "O'ztemiryo'lqurilishmontaj" JSC (main contractor for Uzbekistan Railways). The management and development of the Sardoba Reservoir is under the supervision of the "Directorate for the Use and Development of Sardoba Reservoir Objects" under Uzbekistan Railways. The total cost of the Sardoba Reservoir was 1.3 trillion Uzbekistani so'm (equivalent to 404 million US dollars). [2] [3]
On May 1, 2020, the Sardoba Reservoir dam was breached, causing flooding in ten populated areas in the Sardoba, Akaltyn, and Mirzaobod districts of Uzbekistan, as well as the Paxtaorol district of Kazakhstan.
On April 21, 2020, the construction of the Hydroelectric power station (HPS) began at the Sardoba Reservoir by Uzbekhydroenergo JSC. The cost of the HPS construction, which was estimated to be completed in 2023, is 21.3 million euros and will be financed by Russia's Roseximbank. The Russian company "Silovyye mashiny – ZTL, LMZ, Elektrosila, Energomasheksport" is the main contractor, and a contract worth 19.2 million euros was signed with them. According to the project, the HPS will have a total capacity of 10.7 MW, with two hydro turbines generating 5.35 MW each. The annual electricity production capacity of the HPS is expected to be 41.1 million kWh. [4]
On May 1, 2020 at 05:55, water started overflowing from the 6th picket wall of the Sardoba reservoir, and the water flow gradually increased.
As a result, the Qo'rg'ontepa village was left under water. The residents of the "Birlik", "Qo'rg'ontepa", "Do'stlik", "Yurtdosh", "Navbahor", "Haqiqat", and "Bahoriston" neighborhoods were evacuated. [5] The water also flooded the "Ahillik", "Shodlik", "Saxovat", "Navoiy", "Do'stlik", "Ko'rkamdiyor", "Toshkent", "Yangihayot", "Obod", and "Mustahkam" neighborhoods in Oqoltin district, and their residents were relocated to the city of Gagarin in Jizzakh region. The residents of the "Beruniy", "Paxtaobod", "Baliqchi", "Haqiqat", "Bahoriston", "Yangiovul", and "Do'ngariq" neighborhoods in Mirzaobod district were relocated to the city of Yangiyer. The water flow from the reservoir was directed towards the Abay canal in Oqoltin district and then to the Arnasoy lakes. The residents of Sardoba village were also relocated to the city of Gagarin. [6] According to the information of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 11,598 people were evacuated on the first day of the disaster. [7] On May 2, 60,450 people were moved to safe places. [8]
As a result of the disaster, 4 people died (six by another source [9] ) and 1 person went missing. [10] 2,570 houses and 76 multi-story buildings were completely destroyed, while 1,781 houses and 52 multi-story buildings were partially damaged. [11]
Following the Sardoba disaster, criminal cases were initiated. [12] On May 19, two individuals were detained on suspicion of "negligence with a high position" and "violation of construction regulations". [13]
According to official reports, each of the more than 4,500 homeowners affected by the flood received 40 million Uzbekistani so'm in aid from the state budget. However, not all affected individuals received this aid, and some demanded compensation but were either threatened or detained by internal affairs officials for 15 days. [11]
For the affected residents, 855.4 billion Uzbekistani so'm were allocated for the construction of 86 multi-story buildings with 2,640 apartments. [11]
Overall, 19,592 hectares of land were damaged in Sirdaryo region as a result of the disaster. [11]
On May 1, 2020, after the water release from the reservoir, several settlements in the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan remained underwater. However, the Uzbek Minister of Water Resources called the Minister of Ecology, Geology, and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and urged them not to discharge water to Uzbekistan, so the evacuation of the population in Kazakhstan was delayed. [14] [15] In addition, Kazakh officials emphasized that the construction of the Sardoba reservoir was not coordinated with Kazakhstan. An official note was sent on this issue. [16] Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan stated that the note should not have been sent to Uzbekistan. [17]
Jizzakh Region is one of the regions of Uzbekistan. It is located in the center/east of the country. It borders Tajikistan to the south and south-east, Samarqand Region to the west, Navoiy Region to the north-west, Kazakhstan to the north, and Sirdaryo Region to the east. It covers an area of 21,210 km2. The population is 1,443,408 with 53% living in rural areas.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Uzbekistan:
Visitors to Uzbekistan must obtain a visa from one of the Uzbekistan diplomatic missions or online unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
Xovos is an urban-type settlement in Sirdaryo Region, Uzbekistan. It is the administrative center of Xovos District.
The National Guard of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a uniformed independent formation within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The headquarters of the National Guard is based in Tashkent, where most of the 30,000 soldiers that make up the force are located. As of 2020, the individual in charge of the UNG is currently Rustam Jo'raev. He succeeded Colonel General Bakhodir Tashmatov and Botir Tursunov.
Svetlana Osipova is a Uzbekistani taekwondo athlete and a member of the Uzbekistan national team. In 2017, she won a silver medal at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. In 2018 and 2023, she earned bronze medals at the Summer Asian Games. In 2019, she secured a gold medal at the World Military Games. In 2022, she won a gold medal at the World Taekwondo Championship, and in 2023, she claimed a silver medal.
Uktam Isayevich Barnoev was an Uzbek politician. He served as Khokim (Governor) of Samarkand Region from 2008 to 2010 and of his native Bukhara Region from 2016 to 2020, and as Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan from February 2020 until his death in office during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany in September 2020.
The Northwest Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan based in the city of Nukus. Nukus serves as the capital city of the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. It serves the territory of Karakalpakstan as well as the Xorazm Province. It was established in 2000.
Lola Zunnunova is an Uzbek journalist, TV presenter, art historian and film-critic.
Oltin humo is an annual award presented by the Union of Cinematographers of Uzbekistan. Oltin humo was established as a film presentation and held on April 10, 2019, for the first time. It aims to reward the filmmakers in Uzbekistan.
Murod Nazarov is an Uzbekistani businessman and Vice-president of the polo federation of Uzbekistan
Finlit.uz is an online educational resource by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan about financial literacy.
Sharifa Davronova is an Uzbek track and field athlete specializing in the triple jump. She is a member of the Uzbekistan national athletics team. She has won multiple national championships in Uzbekistan and has also been the champion of the Uzbekistan Cup. Additionally, she has secured victory at the World U20 Athletics Championships and the Asian U18 Athletics Championships. In 2022, she claimed a gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games, and in 2023, she won the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships and the Summer Asian Games.
Alisher Zafarovich Saʼdullayev is an Uzbek politician who has served as Director of the Youth Affairs Agency of Uzbekistan since 2020. He is also Chairperson of the Uzbek Chess Federation and has been a member of the Senate of Uzbekistan since 2020, when, at age 25, he became the youngest member of the Senate in the country's 29-year history by presidential decree.
Kamongaron Reservoir is a reservoir in the village of Kamongaron, near the city of Urgut, Uzbekistan. It was built in 2015 by impounding the Kamongaronsoy river. Kamongaron Reservoir has a surface area of 16 hectares, and holds 1,5 million m3 at full capacity.
The Uzbekistan cough syrup scandal was a series of poisonings that resulted in the deaths of 18 children in Samarkand and two more children elsewhere in Uzbekistan in December 2022 and January 2023. It was caused by the toxic levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in cold medicines produced by the Indian company Marion Biotech, such as the Dok-1 Max brand. Subsequently, the Indian government investigated Marion Biotech's manufacturing processes, while Uzbek authorities opened a criminal case against members of the health system that had contributed to the children's deaths, such as regulatory officials and pharmacy administrators.
Amrillo Inoyatov is a Minister at Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan National counterpart of WHO and former Deputy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on youth, science, education, healthcare, culture and sports.
Murad Buildings is an Uzbek multinational development company located in Uzbekistan. Murad Buildings is one of the largest real estate developers in Uzbekistan, known for Nest One, the tallest building in Uzbekistan, and other major projects. In July 2021, Nuz Asia Awards Murad Buildings won the nomination "Best Local Brand of the Year" and "Best Construction Company of the Year" in 2021 and received the highest state award "Order of Friendship" this year.
The U-Tower is a multifunctional residential complex in the Shayxontoxur district of Tashkent, at the intersection of Islam Karimov Street and Bunyodkor Avenue. The main building consists of 30 floors and includes residential apartments, commercial premises, two-level underground parking and common areas.
The Ogʻoch Sardoba is a historical monument located in Gumbaz village of Sardoba district, Sirdaryo region of Uzbekistan, near the M39 highway that connects the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. It is a type of ancient water reservoir that was built in Central Asia to store water for travelers and caravans. It is one of the three sardobas that existed in Mirzachul and the only one of its kind in the region.