14:37, 25 ноября 2025, Bishkek - 24-kg.com news agency , Baktygul OSMONALIEVA
Mammetkel and Delili reservoirs in Turkmenistan’s Balkan province have completely dried up due to severe drought. The reservoirs normally collect floodwaters from Etrek (Atrek) River, Meteojournal reports.
It is noted that due to a lack of precipitation during the 2024–2025 cold season, the reservoirs not only failed to accumulate water but even lost part of their volume. During the spring period, which was also dry for the region, the reservoirs were emptied. Part of their water volume was lost through evaporation and filtration in the absence of inflow from Etrek River, which itself dried up because of reduced runoff and water withdrawals upstream, the report says.
By March this year, the area of Mammetkel reservoir had shrunk to 2.5 square kilometers, while Delili reservoir had almost completely dried out. By early June, Mammetkel had also fully dried up.
The previous time Mammetkel dried up completely was in October 2021.
The Mammetkel reservoir was commissioned in 1964 and has a total capacity of 20.5 million cubic meters.
The Delili reservoir was commissioned in 1970 with a total capacity of 5.32 million cubic meters.