Tashkent Flooding Reported After Heavy Rainfall

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Localized flooding was reported in several districts of Tashkent on 10 May following heavy rainfall that overwhelmed parts of the city’s drainage system, the capital’s administration said.

According to the Tashkent hokimiyat, authorities received flooding-related reports from 23 locations across eight districts of the city.

The largest number of incidents was recorded in the Mirzo-Ulugbek district, where six cases were reported. Four reports came from the Shaykhantakhur district, while Yashnabad and Mirabad districts each recorded three cases. Two incidents were registered in both Almazar and Yunusabad districts, two in Chilanzar district and one in Yakkasaray district.

City authorities said total precipitation reached 35 mm, with a significant portion of the rainfall occurring in less than two hours. Officials noted that this exceeded more than half of the city’s average monthly rainfall level.

The current stormwater drainage system in Tashkent is designed to handle up to 20 mm of precipitation per day, while the city’s master plan предусматривает phased upgrades to increase capacity to 36 mm.

Authorities said the short-term surge in rainfall caused temporary accumulations of water in several areas, with incoming water volumes exceeding the carrying capacity of existing drainage infrastructure.

The city administration also pointed to local factors that worsened the situation, including clogged drainage elements caused by litter and the obstruction of irrigation ditches and drainage canals due to unauthorized use of adjacent areas for parking and household purposes.

Municipal services said such violations significantly reduce the effectiveness of the overall water drainage system.

Emergency response units, коммунальные services, drainage and collector system teams, and other specialized agencies were mobilized to address the flooding. More than 60 units of special equipment were involved in the response operation.

Authorities said the consequences of the flooding were eliminated within one hour.

Following an initial inspection, officials identified a list of additional measures for each affected site. Planned works include the installation of irrigation systems in several areas, construction of additional siphons, laying pipes of various diameters, installation of pumping units, expansion of network capacity, and the addition of extra stormwater intake grates.

The Tashkent administration said modernization of the city’s drainage infrastructure will continue in stages with a focus on reducing the risk of repeated localized flooding.