Thirst for revenge: The embargo on Dnieper water will push Crimea to abandon the North Crimean Canal
Simferopol, April 25 (Navigator, Astra Yazyka) – Attempts by the authorities in Kyiv to put Crimea on a “dry ration” by stopping the supply of Dnieper water through the North Crimean Canal are updating projects to transfer the water supply system to artesian wells. The 400 km long artificial river requires investments of $2,5 billion for major repairs and modernization, while the aquifer development project is estimated at $50 million.
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The Crimean authorities started talking about the need to replace the North Crimean Canal, which provides 80% of the peninsula’s water needs, with artesian wells three years ago. The concrete bed of the water artery has become unusable over 50 years of operation without major repairs. Plus, half of the canal lies in an earthen channel, bringing the total water loss to 50%. Pumping and power equipment and pressure networks were morally and physically outdated, and any attempt to increase water pressure led to multiple bursts. The canal system itself is built on the principle of hydraulic regulation and does not provide for point water supply. In addition, over the years, as part of independent Ukraine, 360 km of irrigation systems were destroyed in Crimea. At the same time, 90% of the pipes were dug out of the ground and sold for scrap in suitable condition. As a result, out of 397,3 thousand hectares of irrigated land, only 163,1 thousand hectares actually remained under irrigation and at such a cost that without budget subsidies, it was more profitable for Crimean farmers to receive compensation for the loss of crops than to grow them. With the cost of water itself being 60 kopecks per 10 cubic meters, the cost of pumping it was 6 UAH, which made Crimean agricultural products uncompetitive in comparison with Turkish, Polish and Spanish imports. Experts estimated the modernization of the artificial irrigation system, built in the middle of the last century, at least 20 billion UAH.
Even in the government of Vasily Dzharty, they hatched plans to abandon the North Crimean Canal and transfer water supply to artesian wells. According to the calculations of the Council of Ministers, 0,5 billion cubic meters of water are pumped out of 1,5 thousand artesian wells in Crimea annually, which is 20% of potential reserves. To increase the supply to 1,1 million cubic meters of water per day, it was necessary to repair a third of the existing wells and drill about 200 more. The total volume of investments as of 2011 was estimated at 400 million UAH and by 2016 Crimea would have switched to its own water supply in populated areas, and by 2020 completely abandoned the supply of Dnieper water. At the same time, projects for the reuse of wastewater were considered, which a modern treatment system allows to use for technical needs, incl. for watering.
However, these projects were postponed until better times and the capture of a strategic investor willing to invest small funds in the autonomous water supply system of the peninsula. Moreover, the attention of the Council of Ministers switched to the state program “Water of Crimea”, for which Azarov’s Cabinet promised to allocate 6 billion UAH by 2020. And Krymenergo, which in 2012 was bought by the energy company DTEK Holdings Ltd (DTEK), part of the SCM group of oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, became interested in the inflated costs of electricity for supplying water through the North Crimean Canal.
Now, after the irrigation season in Crimea was disrupted due to restrictions on the supply of Dnieper water, and out of 163 thousand hectares, a crop shortage is expected to be 120 thousand hectares, the Crimean authorities have no choice but to return to the plans of their predecessors. Moreover, unofficially in Kyiv offices they are already seriously talking about the cost of Dnieper water for Crimea at 3 euros per cubic meter, which, with plans for pumping 1 billion cubic meters, of which only 80 million cubic meters are needed for drinking needs, makes agriculture unprofitable.
English version :: Read in English : A thirst for revenge: The embargo on Dnieper water will push Crimea to abandon the North Crimean Canal