Dushanbe residents are increasingly facing problems with low water pressure, especially on the upper floors of multi-storey buildings. What is the reason? Asia-Plus received a comment from the first deputy director - Chief engineer of the city's water supply Saimurod Kalandarov.

One of the main reasons for the shortage of water is a sharp increase in its consumption in the summer.

"In hot weather, residents use water not only for household needs, but also for watering vegetable gardens, washing carpets and other secondary tasks. Despite the installed meters, many continue to consume water in excess volumes, using water from basements (where meters are not installed), which creates a significant load on the water supply system," the specialist explains.

City services record up to 100 cases of irrational water use every day.

"Fines are provided for such violations, which range from five to thirty calculated indicators, depending on who the violator is - an individual or an organization," the source said.

According to Article 174 of the Water Code of the Republic of Tajikistan, a fine in the amount of 5 to 10 indicators for calculation is provided for pollution and misuse of water (one indicator for calculations is equal to 72 somoni).

"However, even these measures do not always help to reduce the load on the water supply system, as many continue to use drinking water for other purposes," Kalandarov notes.

Another reason for the problems with water supply is related to the massive use of air conditioners in the summer months. When a large number of people turn on air conditioners at the same time, this creates a significant load on the city's energy system.

As a result, the power grid is overloaded, which affects the operation of water pumping stations. These stations, being large consumers of electricity, depend on a stable energy supply.

"At times of peak electricity consumption caused by the active use of air conditioners, water pumping stations may face interruptions and reduced efficiency of their work," the specialist notes.

Water shutdowns, which sometimes occur at night, are associated with the need for preventive and capital works.

These events are usually held from 22:00 to 6:00 in order to minimize inconvenience to residents and maintain high quality water supply.

It was noted that according to the standards, 350 liters of water per day are provided for one resident of Dushanbe. However, city services produce about 600,000 cubic meters of water daily, which should more than cover the needs of all residents.

As for the issue of raising tariffs for drinking water, the interlocutor stressed that electricity prices have increased significantly in recent years.

"The water supply system is one of the largest consumers of electricity, and about 10 million kWh is spent on maintaining the operation of water pipes every month. Up to 25% of the company's income is spent on paying for these energy resources. However, despite the increase in electricity prices, the city's water utility has not increased water tariffs in recent years, given the social situation in the country," the specialist wrote.

In Tajikistan, even in the capital, it is not uncommon to see people washing carpets right at the entrances or on playgrounds. Many people do not think about the fact that such actions not only cause inconvenience to others, but also violate the law.

In addition, this leads to serious waste of water, especially in conditions where there are already problems with water supply in the country. The irrational use of water exacerbates the situation, making this issue even more relevant to society.