"We now have full possession of our water resources", President Aliyev says At groundbreaking ceremony for Shirvan Canal reconstruction

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal in the Hajigabul district.

“Laying the foundation of the Shirvan irrigation canal is a very significant event. Among the infrastructure projects implemented in Azerbaijan in recent years, this one has a special importance,” he said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azertag.

Pointing out that the canal is already named Shirvan, the head of state said: “The canal will actually be rebuilt, and thousands of people will benefit from this project. The length of the 120-kilometre canal will be doubled to more than 200 kilometres. As for arable areas, it will also be more than doubled in size.”

“The new project [the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal] to be implemented will cover 230,000 hectares of arable land,” said President Aliyev.

“Most of this will be newly irrigated farmland. Whereas earlier this canal covered eight districts, now it will cover 10, and the last point of the canal will be Lake Hajigabul right behind me. Lake Hajigabul has been completely dry for more than 10 years now. After the canal has been put into operation, the lake will also be filled, which will have a very positive effect on nature,” the head of state emphasized.

“The Shirvan canal will be our largest project in terms of water volume and coverage of farmland,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal in the Hajigabul district.

“By implementing this project, we are breathing a new life into this sector,” the head of state pointed out.

“We should start the construction of the Karabakh canal next year. This is a canal that will cover 115,000 hectares. The number of districts it will cover is equal to nine. In other words, 10 districts will be irrigated here through the Shirvan canal and nine more will be irrigated through the Karabakh canal,” President Ilham Aliyev added.

“There is great concern about climate change in the world, including in Azerbaijan. We can see that this year has actually been different from previous years,” the president noted.

“This year, there has been sufficient snow and rain and there is enough water in our reservoirs. But in previous years, we faced drought every year. There was less snow in our mountains. The water level in our rivers decreased in previous years and in some cases our main rivers dried up. The fact that the Caspian Sea is getting shallow is obvious. Everyone can see that. Under such circumstances, it is our main task to use water resources efficiently,” he added.

Major infrastructure projects facing the government in the coming years have been disclosed.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal in the Hajigabul district President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev pointed out that drinking water and irrigation projects will be the priority among the infrastructure projects facing the government in the coming years.

“A large-scale program has already been prepared. The Shirvan and Karabakh canals are the biggest irrigation canals together with the Takhtakorpu-Jeyranbatan canal, so special importance is attached to these projects. However, based on the program already adopted, more than 10 reservoirs will be built in Azerbaijan,” added the President.

“Many infrastructure projects have been solved in Azerbaijan,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal in the Hajigabul district.

The head of state noted: “The level of gas supply has reached 96 percent. The supply of electricity and the creation of new power plants have gained momentum and made significant progress. The entire country has new and modern roads.”

“Azerbaijan is a strong state, a state that relies on its own strength and capabilities,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he addressed a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal in the Hajigabul district.

“We are implementing large-scale work in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur that is unmatched on a global scale. Residential houses, infrastructure projects, irrigation projects, railways, tunnels, airports – the work done in a matter of three years shows the power of our state and the determination of our government and state. All these projects I have mentioned will be implemented,” the head of state emphasized.

During the ground-breaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Shirvan irrigation canal in the Hajigabul district President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev touched upon water desalination of the Caspian Sea.

“I should also mention another project. Work on this project is underway. This is the Caspian Sea water desalination project. After this project has been implemented, we will use the water of the Caspian Sea for both irrigation and drinking. Several countries of the world have ample experience in the field of desalination, and we also have a large water basin such as the Caspian Sea. Of course, we will use this opportunity,” the Azerbaijani leader underlined.

“As a result of the Patriotic War and the anti-terror operation, we now have full possession of our water resources,” said President Aliyev.

“Armenia used to occupy not only our lands, but also our water resources. The water resources available in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur constitute 25 percent of our total. The main feature of these water resources, their positive side, is that they are generated thanks to internal sources,” the president noted.

“As a result of the application of state-of-the-art technologies, grain, fruit growing, horticulture and viticulture will be bolstered in the Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur lands,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

“Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur are among the most beautiful places in Azerbaijan, and the presence of lands suitable for agriculture, water resources, rivers, springs and meadows creates ample opportunities for both animal husbandry and plant breeding. We are doing everything in a planned manner in order to obtain maximum productivity, maximum efficiency from every inch of land, and we will continue to do that,” the Azerbaijani leader noted.