Kokpekti flood could have been prevented?

Report on the critical condition of the Kokpekti dam was filed 7 years ago, Tengrinews reports citing Astana TV channel. Tabigat 21, the company that was renting the Kokpekti reservoir, tried reaching the owner Shanyrak JSC to initiate a thorough overhaul, but according to the lawyer of the leasing company, the negotiations were unsuccessful.

Vladimir Ruchnyi, Tabigat 21’s lawyer said that the company had warned the authorities multiple times about the risk of flooding of the village. “Tabigat 21 was maintaining the dam that the company did not even own for several years. The company sluiced the dam by keeping the hatches open in the Fall and Spring seasons,” Ruchnyi said.

The government was supposed to fund the overhaul of the dam. But when Shanyrak JSC started renting the dam and reservoir it automatically became responsible for its maintenance so the issue of governmental financing became irrelevant. Shanyral JSC, according to lawyer Ruchnyi, had to maintain the dam and keep it operational.

“We have been corresponding about the critical condition of the dam in Kokpekti since 2007 and we have the documentations to confirm it. We turned to the Akimat (local executive authrotiries) and tried to find the top management of Shanyrak JSC and get in contact with them. We wanted to help with the overhaul of the dam. In fact, we were been fixing the dam ourselves (…). Even now the dam requires examination and proper overhaul, ” Ruchnyi explained.

But more pressing than the question of who is at fault, is the fact that Kokpekti villagers are in great need of help.

Around 200 volunteers arrived to Kokpekti to help. University students from Karaganda, Zhas Otan party members, residents of the nearest cities and villages brought shovels, rubber boots and gloves and started cleaning the village. Later more volunteers arrived with warm clothing and essentials.

Astana municipal authorities and businessmen sent a truck with more than 20 tons of food and essentials to the village

Karaganda Oblast Akimat opened a bank account for those who want to donate and help Kokpekti victims.

The bank details:

BIN 140 440 003 264 Karaganda, 1/2 Seifullin Street, IIC KZ 636 010 191 000 193 973  Halyk Bank SWIFT HSBKKZKX Beneficiary code 18.