President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev goes on short-term leave

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The Head of State in his Address to the Nation emphasised the importance of using water-saving technologies in all spheres of the economy, especially in agriculture. Our country does not possess large water resources. It is very important to use water sparingly, to stimulate in this matter not only the population, but first of all business. Therefore, it is important for the regions to achieve indicators for increasing the area with the use of water-saving technologies," Prime Minister said.

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Today, the volume of water in the Northern Aral Sea is 22 billion cubic metres. Before that, 7-10 cubic metres of water per second flowed into the sea during the irrigation period, this year it is 10 times more - 60-70 cubic metres per second," Deputy Head of the Aral-Syrdarya Basin Inspectorate Zeinolla Kaztoganov said.

I've been fishing all my life. With the arrival of water, the fish have come to life. There are more fish this year than last year. If we keep the Aral Sea at its present level, the fishery will develop," he said.

Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan

If last year 15.9 billion tenge was allocated from the republican and local budgets for the purchase of machinery and equipment, 526 units of fire-fighting and patrol equipment were purchased. This year, for the first time in the history of the country's forestry sector, 52 billion tenge has been allocated for the purchase of 1,384 units of firefighting equipment and 921 units of trailed and mounted equipment, including through leasing - 40 billion tenge. These measures will bring the equipment of forest protection institutions in the most fire-prone regions of the country up to 100 per cent," Yerlan Nysanbayev said.

The increase in the volume of forest planting gave impetus to the development of forest nurseries. We reconstructed some of them and created new ones on the area of 1300 hectares. The data on the survival rate of plantations show that the existing forest nurseries are insufficient and the growing technology is outdated. In this regard, the country additionally needs to build 114 new and reconstruct one forest nursery," the minister added.

Akimats of regions need to conduct soil surveys for forest suitability and develop appropriate working projects. This will ensure the fulfilment of the Head of State's instructions and increase the forest area. This work will be under the control of the Ministry," Yerlan Nysanbayev emphasised.

Kazakhstan has the potential to implement offset projects. A Swiss company has launched a pilot project in Akmola region, which involves planting forests on an area of 14,500 hectares. Large global companies are also interested in participating in the creation of forest plantations in the country. The Ministry has prepared amendments to the legislation to enable the implementation of such projects on the territory of the state forest fund. This will give a new impetus to planting forests at the expense of investors," Yerlan Nysanbayev informed.

For a stable autumn-winter period energy enterprises need to complete repairs of main and auxiliary equipment within the approved timeframe, to ensure the accumulation and maintenance of standard fuel reserves, to conduct regular inspections of energy enterprises by the Committee of Energy Supervision and Control," Minister of Energy Almassadam Satkaliyev summarised.

Thus, the referendum is considered valid. A positive decision on the issue submitted to the referendum has been made," the statement of the Central Referendum Commission reads.

• 135 kilometres have been laid under 54 projects, and the work has been fully completed to date;
• 24 kilometres have been laid in 10 projects, and the work is at the stage of completion.

On water supply networks 1,025 kilometres or 90% have been repaired, and 159 kilometres or 98% of the plan have been repaired. In addition, more than 12,000 autonomous boiler houses have been prepared for the start of the heating season in the republic. At the moment 93 per cent of coal, 99 per cent of fuel oil and 90 per cent of diesel fuel have been procured from the plan. The readiness of educational, health care facilities and residential buildings is 100%," the Minister said.

The heating season has started in the northern, central and eastern regions and the population is actively buying coal. For the southern and south-eastern regions it is still relevant to conduct an information campaign on the advance purchase of coal by the population," Kanat Sharlapayev noted.

The Head of State has set the task of planting 2 billion trees. This will make it possible to increase the territory of the country's forest fund to 14.5 million hectares. Expansion of forests and parks, preservation of biodiversity for future generations is one of the important priorities in improving the environmental situation. This is a very complex and long-term work, so it is important to pay constant attention to it. We need to make every effort to increase the forest fund, as well as to preserve the existing forest," Olzhas Bektenov emphasised.