Measures to improve the efficiency of water use are considered

On January 4, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the presentation of proposals to improve the efficiency of water use in agriculture.

In the current conditions of an increasingly acute shortage of water resources in our country, special attention is paid to their rational and careful use. In recent years, 472 thousand and 48 thousand hectares of land have been transferred to drip and sprinkler irrigation, respectively, and water-saving technologies have been introduced on 97 thousand hectares. Laser leveling was performed on 649 thousand hectares of land.

As a result of these measures, 2 billion cubic meters of water were saved in 2023 alone. This is equal to the annual water consumption of the Bukhara region.

The expansion of the scope of this work is hindered by certain problems in the field. For example, the powers of the district irrigation departments are limited to inter-farm channels. Water supply services are not funded effectively. Loans from commercial banks allocated for the introduction of savings technologies are not attractive to farmers.

In this regard, on behalf of the head of state, proposals were developed to improve the lower level of the water resources management system and increase the efficiency of their use.

Thus, it is planned to organize state institutions “Suv etkazib Berish hizmatlari” on the basis of district irrigation departments and specialized services. They will be provided with excavating and other equipment, which will make it twice as cheap to maintain irrigation networks.

It is also envisaged to carry out an inventory of all irrigation networks, assign them to the owners and develop a single identification number.

Starting this year, the payment for 1 cubic meter of water supplied to the field is set at 100 soums. The time has come to change the stereotype in the minds of many people that water is free, it was noted at the meeting.

In this regard, it is proposed to organize settlements with water consumers on a differentiated basis. In particular, starting from 2025, it is planned to apply a lowering tax coefficient to farmers who have installed water meters and implemented saving technologies, and an increasing coefficient to those who have not done so, on the contrary. At the same time, the payment for water supply services will be canceled.

The meeting also discussed measures to further stimulate the introduction of water-saving technologies.

It was noted that a preferential credit line would be opened for these purposes. In particular, loans will be allocated at a rate of 14 percent for a period of 5 years with a two-year grace period. For projects in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm region, the rate will be 10 percent. A pledge of property from farmers will not be required when receiving such loans.

At the same time, it provides for the possibility of obtaining loans online. For example, Agrobank has developed a system "Suvkredit.uz ". Additional obligations are planned to be imposed on contractors, such as the construction of water-saving technologies only on the basis of a working draft, the provision of at least a two-year warranty for installed systems and the provision of service for at least 5 years. Contractors who do not meet these requirements will not be included in the system.

As you know, today a subsidy of 8 million soums is provided for each hectare on which water conservation systems are implemented. So far, 50 percent of this amount has been paid in the year the technology was installed, and the rest was paid the following year. This condition is also planned to be simplified by paying the subsidy in full in the same year in which the technology was installed.

The Head of State approved these proposals and gave instructions on the proper establishment of the system to cover each end user, expanding the scope of water conservation work.