Khayyam Mammadov: Shirvan Irrigation Canal to expand irrigated areas by almost 106,000 hectares

The implementation of the Shirvan Irrigation Canal construction project will bring 105,900 hectares of new land into agricultural use, Khayyam Mammadov, deputy chairman of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ADSEA), said at a regional meeting on the Shirvan-Salyan economic region as part of the State Program for the Development of Agricultural, Fishery, and Aquaculture Production and Processing in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2026-2030, Report informs.

According to him, the canal's construction will commission a new 204.3-kilometer-long main irrigation infrastructure with a capacity of 180 cubic meters per second.

"As a result of the project's implementation, water supply to 112,300 hectares of existing cultivated land in nine districts, including the Hajigabul district, will be improved. Additionally, 105,900 hectares of new land will be brought into cultivation. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2027. This initiative will make a significant contribution to the socioeconomic development of the Shirvan region, expanding agricultural production and strengthening the region's water security," he said.

He added that the reconstruction of the 172.4-kilometer Karabakh irrigation canal, with a capacity of 135 cubic meters per second, will significantly improve the water supply to Karabakh and surrounding areas: "The canal will also provide additional water to the Bahramtepe hydroelectric power station on the Araz River. This will improve water supply to croplands in the Central Aran and Shirvan-Salyan economic regions, increasing the sustainability and productivity of agricultural production."

Furthermore, Mammadov noted that the construction of the Bargushadchay Reservoir is also a major infrastructure project of strategic importance for the region: "This will significantly improve the sustainable water supply of the Beylagan, Imishli, Saatli, Sabirabad, Jalilabad, and Masalli districts. The project's implementation will allow for more efficient distribution of water resources in the Kur-Araz basin and simultaneously create an additional foundation for strengthening water security in the downstream Salyan and Neftchala districts."