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Maftuna Ruzikulova, Senior teacher of Kokand State Pedagogical Institute,
Republic of Uzbekistan
THE HISTORY OF IRRIGATION IN CENTRAL FERGHANA(1950-1970)
M. Ruzikulova
Abstract: The article is devoted history of land reclamation and
irrigation in Ferghana valley in 1950-1970 by the helping archive sources
and historical literatures as well.
Keywords: Central Ferghana, agriculture, process, cotton monopoly,
reclamation, irrigation, virgin lands,tradition.
To begin with all the historical period reclamation virgin lands have
been played significant role in the world. Especially, in agriculture system of
all countries around the world, as well as in ensuring the success of their
economic development, irrigation and reclamation industry has always
occupied an important place. In particular, the local agricultural irrigation
traditions gradually evolved over the centuries, and the culture of irrigation,
peculiar to each country, has obtained its own unique and individual
characteristics. After getting Independence in the Republic of Uzbekistan in
its irrigation system, as well as in every other sector of the country, huge
radical reforms, entailing significant changes were made. Applying and
exploring the modern methods and experience in reclamation received
much attention, as the aim was to maintain the whole agriculture system
through appropriate irrigation. The reason was that “…our agriculture is the
irrigated agriculture. Huge channels, irrigation and drainage network in
conjunction with irrigated fields form the united complex of the water and
the land.”
This fact alone suggests that the growing interest in history and
culture of irrigation, developed by Uzbek people, requires the creation of
deep and circumstantial research on their study.
It is known that the 50–70s of the 20th century in Uzbekistan developed
agriculture, including the cotton industry. In order to further develop the
cultivation and multiplication of cotton in the republic, the Soviet
government pays great attention to the territory of the Fergana Valley.
Which was considered the most suitable place for irrigated agriculture. In
view of this, in the fifth five-year (1951-1955) plan, as well as in the
resolutions of the IX Congress of the CP (B) of Uzbekistan (1952), the main
task was to further develop cotton growing, also expanding the irrigated
land in the Fergana Valley and developing virgin lands.
The development of virgin and fallow lands become widespread, first, in
the Fergana Valley. In the central district of Fergana – Buz, from 1950 to
1954, there were 2803 hectares of the land utilized; in 1953 – 1958, there
were already 2960 hectares. Totally on the Valley from 1954 to 1960 there
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were developed 23100 hectares of the land, and from 1960 to 1965, there
were more than 17,400 hectares utilized. In the developed areas, there were
organized district of Buz, Yazyavan and Zadarya (now Mingbulok)
specialized in cotton growing. This has a positive effect on the process of
urbanization.
As stated above, the main tasks and in order to execute the orders of the
Council of Ministers of the USSR, on September 16, 1952, an expanded
resolution was adopted by the Central Committee of the KP (b) Uzbekistan
and the government of the republic. It marked the first and second regular
land development of the Fergana Valley, as well as practical tasks in the field
of irrigation [1, p.26]. At the same time, the resolution emphasized the
development from 1953 to 1958 of 36,000 hectares of arid desert lands of
the Fergana Valley.
During these years, the Soviet government to make many decisions and
decrees on the event of the development of new lands and the further
development of the irrigation system of the Republic.In particular, since
November 16, 1952, on the basis of the decision of the Central Committee of
the Communist Party (B) of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the
Uzbek SSR, work was carried out to irrigate new and virgin lands of Central
Fergana on 65,000 hectares [2, 31]. By decree, this territory is distributed as
follows:
1. Waterless steppes of Yazyavan and Red Tigin - 30,000 hectares;
2. According to the system of the Ulugnar Canal - 6,000 hectares;
3. According to the system named after the Okhunboboev Canal - 14,000
hectares;
4. Virgin and abandoned land with a total area of 15,000 hectares in
three (Fergana, Andizhan and Namangan) regions.
The process of developing the territory of Central Fergana on a large
scale began in 1953. At that time, its total area was 532.4 thousand hectares,
and its net form was 363.7 thousand hectares [3, p.42]. From this until
January 1, 1953, there was a need to develop 173.2 thousand hectares of
land. Its 130.4 thousand hectares belonged to the Fergana region, and 42.8
thousand hectares of the Andizhan region [4, p.13].
The thesis points out that to ensure the rapid development of cotton
growing the totalitarian government used to issue multiple series of decrees
and orders. Naturally, as irrigation works in those decrees and orders
received the most serious consideration. Among them, the decree of the
USSR Council of Ministers and the CPSU Central Committee "On the further
development of cotton production in Uzbek SSR on 1954 - 1958 years" from
February 9, 1954, which planned the expansion of irrigated areas (600
thousand hectares, including the cotton fields on 300 ha.), significant land
improvement and providing the rational use of water in the state and
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collective farms. The decision, along with the development of cotton
production confirmed the increase of its monoculture policy in comparison
with the previous years.
On January 23, 1959, the Central Committee of the CP of the Uz SSR and
the Council of Ministers of the Uz SSR adopted a decree "On approval of the
plan for construction works on reclamation and irrigation of lands in Central
Fergana during 1959". According to it, the growth volume of the irrigated
lands in the Central Fergana array was 13,000 hectares, in reality, it was
executed at a rate of 10,230 hectares. In the decision, it was noted that
during this year for the development and irrigation of Central Fergana land,
from the planned for the construction funds of 186 685 thousandsum, it has
been allocated and spent the amount of 105 750 thousand roubles from
indivisible savings accounts of the public enterprises of Ferghana, Andizhan
and Namangan regions, 55385 thousand roubles from the state budget,
23400 thousand roubles from the account of "Selhozcredit", and 2150
thousand sums from "Uzbekbirlashuv" fund accounts [5, p.3].
At the same time, the Soviet Government has created many artificial
canals and pumping stations to provide water for hillside areas where the
natural irrigation was not possible. Many activities to improve and maintain
their technical condition have been developed. On July 12, 1952 the Ministry
of cotton production of the USSR issued a decree "On meAndijan State
University named after Z.M.Boburres to improve the technical condition of
the Big Fergana Canal named after Stalin"[6, p.32]
The main objective pointed here was the extensive use of water
resources in order to improve the technical condition of the channel, and the
development of irrigation of the Fergana Valley. In accordance with this
decree, the Minister of Water Resources of the UzSSR and the Chief
Operating Manager of the Big Fergana Canal received the order, in the term
of 3 months in cooperation with the local organizations, to optimize the staff
of the management, and to provide the controlling and hydro-technical
areas with highly skilled professionals. During 1953, it was entrusted to
make cleaning of the Big Fergana Canal in the area from the dam of
Kuyganyar untill the Asaka siphon, and complete cleaning of the South
Fergana Canal.
In 1955-1959, in the Fergana Valley they built 9 pumping stations,
providing water for 10 thousand hectares. At the same time, the collector-
drainage system’s length has reached 37 thousand km. In order to avoid the
disappearance of the filtered water, during seven years (1959-1965) in the
areas with water shortage, 545 km of water channels were covered by
concrete.
Frequency and long-lasting of irrigation activities in the Fergana valley
led to further strengthening the policy of cotton monoculture, and how
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difficult it was is possible to guess from the slogans made in the spirit of
colonization, such as "Development of the Steppe – the Mission for the
Braves" to motivate people to do the forced labor. The cultivated area
allowed to develop cotton production and to increase the amount of harvest.
At the steppes on the developed areas cotton growing districts and state
farms were created, residential complexes for the population were built.
Housing construction has created favorable conditions for the people
previously living in densely populated areas. In connection with the annual
increase in the number of state farms, specialized in cotton, cotton
production also has grown each year. However, unfortunately, most of the
grown cotton was taken away to the Center.
In order to develop virgin steppe lands on the territory of the Fergana,
Andizhan and Namangan regions, in 1953 the Ferganavodstroy Special
Construction Trust and the Fergana Inter-collective Farm Council were
formed. With the assistance of these organizations has done a lot in the field
of new land development. In Central Fergana from 1953 to August 1, 1956,
the following funds were spent for capital construction works [7, p.107].
Table№1. Consumption of funds for capital construction works in Central
Fergana (1953-1956). (Taking into account thousand rubles).
№ Years
From Collective farm fund
From
the
state
budget
1
1953
16574
17788
1954
45330
18062
1955
53295
15328
4
1956
21660
4422
Total
136859
55600
On February 26, 1957, the Central Committee of the Communist Party
(Bolsheviks) of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the Uzbek SSR
adopted resolution No. 99. According to this resolution, on March 18 of this
year, the Ministry of Agriculture, number No. 55, issued an order “On the
strengthening of irrigation and land development Central Fergana "[8, p.57].
On the basis of this order, the irrigation and development plan for the farms
of Central Fergana’s land in the period 1956 - 1961 was 80.0 thousand
hectares of virgin and fallow lands, including these lands in the oblasts
distributed in the following way [9, p.59]: in the Fergana region 32.0
thousand hectares, in the Andijan region - 28.0 thousand hectares. and in the
Namangan region - 20.0 thousand hectares [10, p.23].
It should be noted that in the lands of Central Fergana irrigation and
reclamation work has developed at a high level, as well as agriculture,
including cotton growing. There were positive aspects, but there were also
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negative consequences for this. In this place of work on the development of
land lasted from 1953 to 1973. During these years, the tasks of the
development of virgin and fallow lands, for this purpose, the allocation of
funds and the decision of the government in many places were not fulfilled.
In turn, the development of new lands year after year increased the
cultivation of cotton. This process has further strengthened cotton
autocracy in agriculture. In the expansion of cotton growing, the sense of
proportion was not observed, scientific recommendations were not ignored,
crop rotation was not disturbed, and so on. As a result, the complexity in the
development of new lands was grossly violated, ignoring the multi-sectoral
development of the public economy contributed to the forced penetration of
cotton monoculture into the economy.
References:
1. Gofurov A. Economical issues of development irrigation and land
reclamation. –Tashkent: Uzbekistan, 1974. -P.26. (Ғофуров А. Ирригация
ва мелиорацияни ривожлантиришнинг иқтисодий проблемалари. -
Тошкент: Ўзбекистон, 1974.-С.26. (In Uzbek)
2. Andizhan province State Archive, fund-608, collected volume-1, list-
932, p. 31. (In Russian)
3. Andizhan province State Archive, fund-608, collected volume-1, list-
935, p. 42.
4. Fergana province State Archive, fund-1151, collected volume-1, list-
100, p.13.
5. Namangan province State Archive, fund-275, collected volume. 1, list-
1341, p. 3.
6. Andizhan province State Archive, fund-608, collected volume-1, list-
932, p. 32.
7. Andizhan province State Archive, fund-619, collected volume-1, list-
113, -p.107.
8. Fergana province State Archive, fund-1151, collected volume-1, list-
87, -p. 57.
9. Fergana province State Archive, fund-1151, collected volume-1, list-
87,-p.59.
10. Fergana province State Archive, fund-1151, collected volume-1, list-
89, -p.23.
