The rogun hydraulic development on the Vakhsh River

Abstract

Water exerts a decisive effect on the further economic and social development of the productive forces of Central Asia. In connection with the need for expanding the irrigated area, there arises the problem of ensuring water supply. Basic additions to the irrigated land are to be made in the expanses of virgin soil in the Amudar'ya River basin. In the near furore, the diversion of water for irrigation and other needs from the Amudar'ya River and its tributaries will increase to 59 billion m 3 per year, which represents about 90% of the Amudar'ya runoff at the Kerki site. These water needs are insufficiently satisfied by the Nurek and Tyuyamuyunsk reservoirs, now under construction, which are intended for seasonal flow regulation and ensure the utilization of only 52 billion m 3. The increasing water need for 59 billion m 3 can be economically and expediently satisfied through deeper flow regulation of the Amudar'ya River system. The resulting shortage of 7 billion m 3 is to be covered in accordance with the general scheme for utilization of the Amudar'ya River by constructing the multipurpose Rogun hydraulic development on the Vakhsh River.Placing the Rogun hydraulic development in operation will make it possible to organize the effective control of the Amudar'ya River according to the required regimes, and to expand the irrigated area. In addition to flow regulation for irrigation, this hydraulic development will also supply cheap electric energy, with an annual output -,k/,f"..- Fig. 1. Plan of hydraulic development. 1) Dam; 2) flu-st-level diversion tunnel; 3) second-level diversion tunnel; 4) plant intake; 5) powerhouse; 6) transformer chamber; 7) transformer tunnel; 8) cable tunnel; 9) switching station to switchyard; 10) tailrace tunnels; 11) 500-kV switchyard; 12) emergency spillway; 13) surface intake; 14) deep intake; 15) installations for protecting rock salt against scour, which include holes for hydraulic protection and for grouting and chemical stabilization of the rock.Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stwo, No. 4, pp. 10-13, April, i975. 320