14 August 1986 year was adopted by the Central Committee of the CPSU "On the termination of work on the transfer of part of the flow of northern and Siberian rivers"
Let's dream ...
From the dam in the upper reaches of the Kuban, built in 1962 year, originates from the Big Stavropol Canal. In confirmation of the grandeur of the project of the irrigation and watering system in the Stavropol Territory, hydroconstructors decorated the dam in the village of Ust-Dzhegutinskaya (from 1975 year - city) slogan: "The water of the Kuban River is coming, where do the Bolsheviks tell!». This slogan has not survived to this day., but he, like no other, reflected the mighty tread of the Soviet five-year plans, and it could be safely applied to many hydraulic structures of the mid-twentieth century, erected on different waterways of the country.
Irtysh-Karaganda Canal Source: wiki.tpu.ru
During the Soviet era, many projects were conceived and implemented, distinguished by the enormous scope of engineering. Some, if implemented, would lead to serious climatic and natural changes. What was the cost only of the project to drain the bottom of the Caspian Sea to facilitate oil production! And the plan for turning Siberian rivers to the south for the development of agriculture in Kazakhstan and Central Asia!
It is about this project that we will talk today. As is known, water in Kazakhstan and Central Asia has always been lacking. rather, she was never abundant, but with proper housekeeping, with scientifically organized land reclamation, the problems could be solved on the spot.
The most problem of transferring a part of the flow of rivers of Western Siberia to Central Asia was first attended to ... by schoolboy Yakov Demchenko in 1868 year. It was, is, and such high school students. Subsequently, he even wrote a book "On the flooding of the Aral-Caspian lowland". AT 1948 year the author of fantastic books "Plutonium" and "Sannikov Land", and also a geologist, geographer and paleontologist Vladimir Obruchev returned to this problem again, which was given a course at the very top in 1968 year.
The plenum of the CPSU Central Committee puzzled the General Plan, The USSR Academy of Sciences and other organizations to work on the redistribution of the flow of some rivers. Something great must be presented to the world, against which the Karakum and Crimean canals will look like ordinary irrigation ditches.
Newspaper note on plans to turn rivers Source: pinterest.ru
Here another slogan of victorious socialism should have come in handy: “You shouldn't expect mercy from nature, to take them is our task ". First of all, specialists from the USSR Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources rushed to perform the task., created in 1965 year. A huge system of canals and reservoirs was created from the Irtysh and Ob to the Aral Sea. There should have been enough water not only for the southern regions of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, but also for arid regions of Russia, got something Kurgan, Chelyabinsk and Omsk regions. In a successful scenario, the canal became a transport artery., connecting Siberian and Central Asian rivers.
According to the plans, the canal was to stretch for 2500 kilometers at width 130-300 meters and depth 15 m. There was hope, that Iran will join the project. And then from the Arctic Ocean it would be possible to get to the Persian Gulf.
Counted, shed tears ...
AT 1970 year has already been adopted by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers "On the prospects for the development of land reclamation, regulation and redistribution of river flow in 1971-1985 years. ". The machine started working, at 1968 the Irtysh-Karaganda canal was put into operation. He became the first part of a large project.
AT 1976 year at the XXV Congress of the CPSU, the final draft was selected from four proposed. Only text materials were prepared 50 Tomov, which were accompanied by 10 albums of maps and drawings.
The designers have promised, that this is a very profitable project, and it will give a significant national economic effect. All investments should have paid off in eight to ten years. The start of the project was determined at 1985 year, and then they moved it to 2000 year.
Irtysh-Karaganda Canal Structures Source: upload.wikimedia.org
the, that the dates have been shifted, allowed to develop an extensive discussion in the country. Many scientists, having familiarized with the project, called it just a gamble. The USSR Academy of Sciences prepared negative conclusions, and a group of geologists-academicians headed by Alexander Yanshin sent a letter to the Central Committee of the CPSU "On the catastrophic consequences of the diversion of part of the flow of northern rivers". Famous writers Sergey Zalygin joined the discussion, Valentin Rasputin, Vasily Belov, Victor Astafiev. Their demand for the country's leadership was one thing - to stop the project.
On behalf of Mikhail Gorbachev, an expert commission was created to improve the efficiency of land reclamation. The result is known - the project was closed.
Sometimes you wonder, what desperate guys we are. We can handle everything and the sea is knee-deep. But, as it turned out, and there are projectors in the West, which do not need to be equal.
There was a similar "project of the century" in America, and he also provided for the transfer of part of the river flow from Alaska to the arid regions of Canada, USA and Mexico. The project was actively worked on in the 1950s. It seemed, some more, and there will be enough water for everyone. But when they counted, - wept. The project was abandoned. It revealed, which is too expensive, and the consequences for nature are unpredictable. Probably, not everything a person can take from nature ...
Author: Vladimir PAVLOV
