Esil River water level drops sharply in Astana: akimat explains why

Tengrinews.kz — On the morning of October 23, Astana residents noticed an unusual phenomenon: the Esil River near Kenesary Street had become dramatically shallower overnight. Residents have been posting before-and-after photos of the river on social media.
Judging by the images, the water level in the Esil River dropped significantly, exposing large sections of the riverbed. Only small pools of water remained in some areas.
Residents say that just yesterday, the river appeared normal.
“Yesterday there was still plenty of water in the riverbed and fishermen were fishing, but by evening the Yesil began to recede rapidly, and by morning there was almost no water left at all,” readers told Tengrinews.kz.
Screenshot from Threads
According to one Astana resident, the water did not disappear everywhere.
Screenshot from Threads
Astana’s akimat press service explained that the river channel had been redirected during scheduled works.

“The city Construction Department carried out scheduled work on the construction of the fifth-stage water-regulating dam on the Esil River. The work has now been completed, and the water level is beginning to rise,” the akimat said.

The akimat did not specify when the river’s water level would be fully restored.

Earlier, it was reported that Bilkol, the largest lake in Zhambyl Region, continues to become shallower. The water has receded an average of 300 meters from the shoreline, causing concern among residents of six nearby settlements. Environmentalists link the problem to climate change.