Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Yuksalish Nationwide Movement has conducted a public monitoring of progress in ensuring access to clean drinking water and sewerage systems for the population. According to a statement from the movement’s press service, the analysis revealed both notable improvements and ongoing systemic challenges.

The data shows that access to drinking water increased from 63.7% in 2017 to 81% in 2024. During this period, over 9,000 kilometers of water pipelines were repaired, and the total number of drinking water production facilities reached nearly 11,000. From 2017 to 2024, nine million people gained access to centralized water supply for the first time.

As part of the monitoring, 99 projects in 101 mahallas across the country were analyzed. These projects were financed by the state and local budgets as well as international financial institutions. According to Uzsuvta’minot JSC, construction has been completed at 67 sites, while 32 are still underway. However, Yuksalish found that 23 of the 67 completed sites were not fully built as declared.

Specifically, construction remained unfinished in mahallas such as Ergashobod and Olakanot in Asaka District, and Bobochek in Shahrihan District of the Andijan Region, despite being formally marked as completed. In 28 mahallas across the country, water and sewer systems were either not delivered on time or were put into operation before construction was finalized. For instance, new housing developments in Chust District (Namangan Region) have not been connected to sewerage, while in Urgench, apartments were handed over before construction was completed. In the mahallas of Bakht, Istiklol, and Akhillik in Gulistan, sewerage systems have been officially commissioned but are non-operational in reality.

The monitoring also documented poor construction quality in nine mahallas. In particular, in Ulugbek and Kaliya mahallas in Jizzakh Region, water towers were built using substandard materials and without adherence to safety standards. In Gulzor mahalla (Chust District), the new sewerage system emits a persistent foul odor and experiences frequent malfunctions. In Kattakurgan District of Samarkand Region, the construction of 20 km of sewerage pipelines was marred by violations of both deadlines and technical standards.

Moreover, even in areas where projects were officially completed, issues with water supply persist, including irregular service or supply levels falling short of stated benchmarks. In Zarafshan mahalla (Arnasa District, Jizzakh Region), despite the construction of a new water facility and pipeline connections to seven apartment buildings, water is available only once every three days for just 30 minutes—and it doesn’t reach the upper floors at all. In Dehibaland mahalla (Nurata District, Navoi Region), and in the mahallas of Mirzo Ulugbek, Nurafshan, Yangi Hayot, and Lutfikor in Mirzaabad District (Syrdarya Region), water is supplied only during strictly scheduled hours.

Based on its findings, Yuksalish issued a series of recommendations: to improve training for regional engineers in line with building codes, to mandate the involvement of technical experts and public representatives in project acceptance, to implement an open and transparent reporting system, to apply modern technologies and digital tools to monitor coverage across households, and to incorporate international best practices when planning and implementing such infrastructure projects.