By Azernews

Qabil Ashirov

Azersu OJSC says the price of drinking water may hike in future, Azernews reports citing the Deputy Chairman of Azersu OSJC Etibar Mammadov at a briefing on “The causes of water shortage in the country [Azerbaijan] and the current situation".

According to him, the low cost of water prevents society from operating profitably. Also, the reconstruction of other water supply systems is aimed at the state budget.

"If the tariffs correspond to the tariffs of the developed countries in the world, the society will work profitably and can direct its income to the provision of the population in places where there is no centralized water supply system,” he noted.

Speaking at the same event, Deputy Agriculture Minister Sarvan Jafarov said that in the current economic year, the demand for 4 bn cubic meters of water has been calculated for the irrigation of agricultural plants to be cultivated on 1.3 m hectares of land in 51 regions.

"Calculations were made on the agricultural areas where the water supply is from the Kura River in Agdash, Agjabedi, Barda, Zardab, Imishli, Kurdamir, Neftchala, Saatli, Sabirabad, Salyan, Hajigabul and Yevlakh districts located in the lower reaches of the Kura. It was determined that 1.5bn cubic meters of water are required to irrigate 483,000 hectares of land in those regions," added Sarvan Jafarov.