QURGHON TEPPA, October 16, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- 40 million somoni are needed for rehabilitation of the flood protection embankment in the Kulob zone of Khatlon province, Khatlon governor Ghaybullo Afzalov announced at a news conference in Qurghon Teppa, the capital of Khatlon province on October 15.

According to him, the government working group, led by Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov, recently visited the Kulob region to get acquainted with rehabilitation and construction of river bank protection works on the Yakhsou, Tebalay, Ziraki and other rivers in the area.

River bank reinforcement work has already started on these rivers and the Khatlon administration has offered its flood risk management projects to the commission and they are currently under consideration, the governor said.

The Kulob zone of Khatlon is susceptible to floods and floods that hit the area in May this year were devastating inflicting loss of more than 20 human lives and serious agricultural and infrastructure damage.