As a result of the intense rainfall observed in the country in recent days, an increase in the water level of the Kura River has been recorded.
“Elchi” reports citing Oxu.az that the current situation has caused concern among the population living in the areas along the Kura River.
The main topic of discussion is how long the process of rising water levels in the Kura will continue and what the probability is of the Kura overflowing and flooding surrounding villages.
The State Service for Control over Water Use and Protection under the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ADSEA) stated that the current situation is under full control and there is currently no risk of flooding.
“The flow of the Kura River is being regulated, and there is currently no risk of flooding. It should be noted that a few days ago, the service informed the public about the increase in water discharge in the lower reaches of the Kura River from 300 cubic meters per second to 600 cubic meters per second. The volume of water released from the Mingachevir reservoir into the Kura River is regularly monitored by ADSEA and its subordinate organizations,” the statement said.
Regarding the question of how long the process of rising water levels in the Kura will continue, the agency stated that the water release is regulated in accordance with the amount of water entering the reservoir and the capacity of the reservoir.
“Currently, due to the rainy weather conditions, as well as the melting of snow cover in the upper reaches of the Kura River, this process is expected to continue until the end of May or the beginning of June. For information, we would like to note that due to low rainfall in recent years, low water levels were observed in the Kura River, and insufficient water reserves were accumulated in the Mingachevir reservoir.
Currently, the river’s return to its pre-climate change state may cause concern among the public in some cases, but this is a natural and controlled process. The area mentioned on social media is the Tugay forest zone located in the direction of Tazakend. The height of the dams built in that area is 4-5 meters. In the current situation, despite the river water reaching the level of the dams, there is no risk of it overflowing or flooding the settlements and agricultural lands located along the Kura River. The technical condition of the dams is regularly checked, daily monitoring is carried out, and operational information is provided to the relevant authorities. Consequently, there is no basis for any concern among the population regarding the current situation. At the same time, we state that relevant authorities will be officially informed in advance about any potential emergencies, and the public will be informed accordingly,” the statement emphasized.