Kalmykia will allocate 49,236.77 thousand rubles from the federal budget for the conservation of the capital construction of the Elista reservoir.
The corresponding decree of the Russian government states that the Federal State Budgetary Water Management Institution Tsentrregionvodkhoz, the customer-developer of the facility, has been instructed to ensure the development of the technical documentation necessary for the conservation of the Elista reservoir within six months. The mothballing works are planned to be completed by December 31, 2021. “Financial support of expenses related to conservation, in the amount of 49,236.77 thousand rubles, to be carried out at the expense of the federal budget”, – is specified in the document.
Let us recall some moments from the history of this long-term construction, initiated by the government of Kalmykia within the framework of the federal target program “Development of the water sector of the Russian Federation in 2012-2020”.
The customer was FGU Kalmkaspvod, the general contractor was OJSC Kalmyk Road Administration. The construction of the reservoir began in 2012. The residents of Kalmykia were promised that in three years they would rest on its shores.
The total cost of the project was 1.28 billion rubles. The volume of financing for the first year amounted to over 146 million rubles. Until 2014, the work went on schedule, during this time about 620 million rubles were spent. But then the work was suspended due to the adjustment of the project in terms of changing the method of supplying water from an open channel to a closed pressure pipeline.
Alas, it also turned out that the construction was carried out in the absence of an approved safety declaration for the hydraulic structure, and the reservoir itself is not insured. The auditors found out that the construction of the facility was carried out on land plots for which there were no title documents without a construction permit issued by the Ministry of Construction of Russia.
The Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, during the audit of the construction of the Elista reservoir, identified deficiencies and violations totaling 447.8 million rubles (expenses with signs of misuse of funds).
In 2018, the Main Directorate of State Expertise of Russia nevertheless issued a positive conclusion on the documentation. The head of the RK Alexey Orlov announced the resumption of construction.
In 2019, Orlov was replaced by Batu Khasikov, who, together with the head of the Federal Agency for Water Resources Dmitry Kirillov, visited the site of the long-term construction. After reviewing its technical characteristics, we held a meeting on its feasibility. Having decided to continue construction, they even announced that a schedule for financing the facility until 2022 was formed. The timing of the selection of the contractor was announced – 2020.
However, in the fall of 2020, the newly appointed Minister of Natural Resources of Russia, Alexander Kozlov, decided to mothball the construction of the Elista reservoir in the Gashun-Sala gully, which had already lasted more than eight years by that time. The Department of State Policy of Water Resources of the Ministry has developed amendments to the federal target program “Development of the water management complex” until 2020, according to which several water facilities were removed from it, which were unfinished for various reasons. Including, the most problematic is the Elista reservoir.
“Rosvodresursy made a decision to suspend its construction until Kalmykia adopts the General Scheme of Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal and improves the ecological state of the Chograi reservoir, from which the Elista reservoir will be fed. The completion date for the facility, which has been under construction for eight years in the Gashun-Sala gully, has been postponed until 2030. In addition, 718 million rubles were seized from Kalmykia, which should have been allocated within the framework of the federal target program this financial year. ” – commented in the relevant ministry.
Already this year, during a working visit to Kalmykia, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin confirmed that the government had made a decision to mothball the capital construction of the Elista reservoir. And that 49,236.77 thousand rubles will be allocated from the federal budget for conservation work.