Southern Kazakhstan fears cholera outbreak

A biological catastrophe may take place in southern Kazakhstan, Otyrar.kz reports referring to a special meeting on disaster relief. Local residents fear emergence of cholera because the water level at the Shardary Water Reservoir is decreasing. Insects that transmit the disease are actively reproducing in swampy areas. “I’m not exaggerating. If cholera spills beyond our region it will affect Kazakhstan as a whole. That's why we have to raise the water level at the area of 6 square kilometers. This year there was not enough water. I don't know what things are going to be like next year,” said Deputy Akim (Governor) of Shardary Region of South Kazakhstan Oblast. According to experts, Baltakol and Mayakum canals pose another danger. The officials fear that Mayakum canal that causes trouble to Otyrar residents every year, will flood the surrounding areas again this year. However, due to lack of financing construction of a dam is not possible. Disaster management officials are supposed to be responsible for the construction of the dam, but the region's department was re-organized. “Its duties were transferred to the environmental department. But you never know if their employees are working or not, there have been no visible results so far,” said Nygmet Yesenbayev, Deputy Akym of Otyrar Region. He called to mobilize all the local forces to eliminate the threats and demanded that the locals are informed about the impending danger.