China-aided irrigation project helps Kyrgyz villagers tackle drought, boost incomes

A China-aided irrigation system spanning three irrigation areas in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul and Batken regions is transforming lives by tackling drought, providing reliable access to water, and boosting incomes through irrigated farming.

The project, launched in May 2018 and undertaken by the China Railway No.5 Engineering Group, focuses on upgrading and renovating local irrigation systems. Its scope includes the construction, maintenance, and expansion of agricultural irrigation canals and subsidiary structures, transforming water management across the region.

Situated 194 kilometers from Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, Ak-Olon village in the Issyk-Kul region long faced inadequate irrigation. After three years of reconstruction, the China-aided Ak-Olon Canal greatly improved the situation.

"One of our greatest challenges was the persistent water shortage. We appealed to numerous state authorities and investment programs for support in building a canal. Thanks to collective efforts and a major grant from China—one of the largest infrastructure projects in our region—the canal was completed. Today, it supplies water not just to our village, but also to neighboring communities," said Mairam Kydyralieva, former head of the Ak-Olon Village council.

A former project engineer reflected on his team's dedication, noting that despite facing harsh natural conditions, the technicians and workers constructed the irrigation system to exceptionally high standards.

"In the early stages of construction, we faced numerous challenges. Despite enduring harsh weather, including winter temperatures that plunged to between minus 13 degrees Celsius and minus 20 degrees Celsius, the team maintained exceptionally high-quality standards throughout. We worked around the clock all year long to get the job done," said Cholponkul Baryktabasov, a former surveying engineer at the Kyrgyzstan Branch of China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group.

After years of dedicated effort, the project reached completion in 2021, securing reliable water access for 11,100 hectares of farmland and directly benefiting 20,000 residents. The improved irrigation system dramatically reduced water waste while ensuring steady irrigation, which in turn boosted both crop yields and quality.

"Each year, just from the apple trees, we fill two trucks with apples, and another two with apricots. The canal has made a huge difference for my family's income. Before, there were often disputes among residents over water use, but since the new canal was completed. Every household is able to tend their own land and farm successfully. I now have 800 apricot trees and 500 apple trees—enough to support my family well," said Mamytov Zhumagul, a resident of Ak-Olon Village.

"The project helped increase the crop yields in nearby regions by about 15 to 20 percent. It also helps promote both agriculture and livestock production," said Zhang Liang, general manager of the Kyrgyzstan Branch of the Chinese company.

China-aided irrigation project helps Kyrgyz villagers tackle drought, boost incomes

Chinese spacecraft developers have accelerated development of the spacecraft for the country's Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission by five months — moving its launch from the original schedule in October to late May — achieving greater efficiency without compromising safety or reliability.

According to He Yu, general commander of China's manned spacecraft project of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the accelerated development began shortly after the emergency launch readiness of the Shenzhou-22 last November.

"We have accelerated the development of the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft. It was originally planned for launch in late October, but has now been moved up to late May. In the six months since last November, we have gained five months of progress. This means the pace of work has been quickened by nearly one time," He said.

He further explained that a series of measures to ensure mission success have been adopted alongside the accelerated development, adding multiple layers of assurance.

"We have continued the proven measures that have ensured success in the past, which are fundamentally based on a sound product assurance system and strict process control. We have maintained high-quality assembly operations, continued to implement efficient and high-quality automated testing procedures, adopted a specialized flight control model, and maintained a full-process quality confirmation system to ensure reliability and safety of the product," He said.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 23:08 Beijing time (15:08 GMT) on Sunday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Chinese astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying will carry out the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission, and Zhu will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Saturday.

Chinese engineers move Shenzhou-23 manned spacecraft mission forward by 5 months while ensuring safety