Photo: Press Service of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations
Roughly 100 homes in Uzbekistan’s Andijan Region were flooded following a breach in the embankment of the South Fergana Main Canal at checkpoint PK-194+60, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.
Water entered approximately 30 homes, while the remaining cases involved flooding of household plots. The breach occurred near the Sarvontepa mahalla (neighborhood) in Bulakbashi District, damaging one of the canal’s banks.
No injuries have been reported. Emergency workers are actively managing the situation, and authorities say the incident is under control.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the breach happened at around 8:00 a.m. local time on May 8. Notably, a small hydroelectric power station is under construction at this site. The canal also plays a vital role in irrigating farmland in both Andijan and Fergana regions, as well as parts of neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
At the time of the incident, water flow through the canal measured 60 cubic meters per second—within the safe capacity of 80 m³/s. To prevent further escalation, officials halted water discharge from the Andijan Reservoir. Flow from the damaged canal section was redirected into the Lower South Fergana Canal.
A task force dispatched by the Ministry of Water Resources is on site, investigating the breach and overseeing response measures. An emergency operations center has been established to coordinate restoration work, involving over 50 personnel and a range of heavy equipment, including dump trucks, cranes, bulldozers, and excavators.
