DUSHANBE, August 5, 2014, Asia-Plus – In an article posted on Centrasia.ru, Uzbek academician Rustamzhon Abdullayev calls on Uzbek authorities to present neighboring Tajikistan with ultimatum, “Stop building Roghun or we will be forced to take extreme measures!”

Uzbek academician notes that if Tajikistan ignores the ultimatum, Uzbekistan ought to send its bombers to Tajikistan to bomb the Roghun dam.    At the same time, Abdullayev proposes to strike a blow against Tajik army from Surkhandarya region along the Tursunzoda-Hisor-Dushanbe line.

According to him, Uzbekistan is convinced that consultants and experts to carry out assessment studies for the Roghun hydropower project (HPP) have been chosen with numerous violations of international norms.

Abdullayev considers that the Roghun dam is just the leverage by which all neighboring countries could be brought to their knees.

He notes that “using support of international financial capital as well as enlisting support of a certain “third force, Tajikistan will begin forcing events.”  “Before we have time to look around, we will be left without water,” Uzbek academician said, noting that Tajik authorities will stop at nothing to complete construction of the Roghun dam.

“But it is impossible to destroy such a massive dam only by bombs and strong hands of all our former migrant workers will be needed.  They will have to follow acting army and construction engineering will follow them.  The dam should be destroyed to its very foundations so that to discourage Tajiks and their leaders from threatening neighbors by leaving them without draught of water,” the article author says.

We will recall that in a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda revealed on July 23 that Tajikistan will use its full water allocation to fill the Roghun reservoir.

According to him, Tajikistan has not used its full water allocation as set in regional annual allocation decisions but it will use the full allocation in the future, with difference between its full allocation and its actual use to date averaging 1.2 cubic kilometers annually for 2005-11.   

“The World Bank’s resolutions clearly note that the Roghun reservoir must fill with water during sixteen years.  Every year, 0.8 cubic kilometer of water will be collected at the expense of Tajikistan’s water allocation,” the minister said.

Uzbekistan strongly opposes the construction of the Roghun dam.  During his visit to Karakalpakstan autonomous republic, Uzbek President Islam Karimov noted on October 8, 2010 that if Tajikistan goes on to complete Roghun as planned, it would leave Uzbekistan facing water shortages for eight years until Roghun dam filled with water.

Tashkent has asked Russia and the United Nations to pressure Dushanbe to stop the Roghun hydroelectricity project.