Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, at a government meeting on February 20, 2024, criticized the relevant ministries for poor preparation for the flood period.

Minister of Emergency Situations Chingis Arinov spoke about the dire condition of hydraulic structures in Kazakhstan. As Arinov noted, in recent years, insufficient attention has been paid to hydraulic structures in Kazakhstan. Due to their weak stability, there are risks of reservoir breaches and threats to settlements. At the same time, repair work is only carried out on republican structures, while communal ones often remain neglected for many years.

‘There are 304 hydraulic structures that pose an immediate threat to the lives of the population, of which 216 or 71% do not have local warning systems. Their absence in case of a breach will lead to human casualties, as was the case in 2010 and 2014 in the Almaty and Karaganda regions,’ said Chingis Arinov.

According to official data, there are over 1500 hydraulic structures in Kazakhstan, almost half of which require repair. and most of them are located in flood-prone regions — in the Karaganda, East Kazakhstan, Almaty, Aktobe, Akmola, Abai, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, and Kostanay regions.

However, the Prime Minister noted that the problem is not only in the poor condition of hydraulic structures. This can be corrected, but greater concern is caused by the attitude towards the work of relevant ministries and akimats. In particular, Bektenov said that instructions had been repeatedly given for the implementation of flood control measures in the regions.

‘However, the corresponding measures by state bodies and akimats have not been fully implemented. As a result, out of 218 measures, 92 have not been implemented to this day. Such an approach to work is unacceptable. I instruct the Minister of Emergency Situations to propose measures for the responsibility of officials of central and local government bodies who have allowed the non-fulfillment of planned measures.’

The Prime Minister also noted that in some regions, financial resources for snow removal are allocated only for large cities and regional centers, while in rural areas, the issue of snow removal remains open.

‘For example, in the Pavlodar region, out of the allocated 4.5 billion tenge for rural areas, only 900 million tenge is provided. In the Karaganda region, out of 5.4 billion tenge for villages, 700 million tenge is allocated. In the Aktobe region, only 100 million tenge. Akims of regions need to take measures for timely snow removal, especially in rural areas. It should be noted that there are already cases of flooding of streets in settlements and road overflows in some regions. Overall, the risks of flooding persist in 217 settlements of the country.’

At the same time, as the head of the government noted, in recent years, the threats of flooding persist in the same cities and villages.

‘A lot depends on the clear work of akimats. It is also necessary to ensure timely cleaning of ditches, storm sewers, construction of temporary dams, and landslide protection of settlements. Local budgets should allocate funds for possible emergencies. Akims of regions should keep flood issues under personal control.’

In addition, according to the Prime Minister, flood control exercises are ineffective.

‘The Ministry of Emergency Situations annually checks the readiness for the flood period as part of the Republican command and staff exercise «Koktem.» All regions report full readiness for floods, but in the end — affected people, flooded buildings, and infrastructure. This indicates that the exercises are conducted formally, and readiness remains only on paper.’ The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Emergency Situations to review the format of the exercises, and akims to study all the causes of floods and ensure high-quality readiness for them.»