A large-scale project was launched in the Surkhandarya province n early September to provide drinking water to the population by laying a main water pipeline from the Tupalang reservoir. Its construction was announced by the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his visit to the province on June 1-2.

According to the project, which was presented to the president in August by the chairman of Uzbekgidroenergo, Abdugani Sanginov, it is planned to build structures for damping the pressure, purification and distribution of water in the lower part of the reservoir, from which 361 km of pipelines will be laid to the water distribution units. The facility's capacity will be 200 thousand cubic meters of water per day.

The project will improve water supply to 1.7 million residents of the Sariosiyo, Denau, Shurchi, Kumkurgan, Dzharkurgan, Bandykhan, Kyzyryk, Sherabad, Angora, Muzrabot, Termez district and the city of Termez.

The project’s total cost is estimated at $ 138 million and is planned to be commissioned in 2023 (initially it was reported about 2024).

Who is implementing the project

As previously reported that the main customer of the project is the Surkhandarya territorial department of UE Engineering Company for the Construction of Water Supply and Sewerage Facilities of Uzsuvtaminot JSC, the general designer is Gidroproekt, and the general contractor is To'palang HPD Platinum.

According to the public procurement portal, the general design and general contract were awarded without a tender.

The design and survey organization "Gidroproekt", which is part of JSC "Uzbekgidroenergo", was determined by the MoM of the Cabinet of Ministers on July 19, 2021, chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister Achilbay Ramatov.

The company must conduct engineering and technical surveys, including topographic, engineering-geological and geophysical works, develop a technical-economic and design estimates of the project. The cost of services of "Hydroproject" is estimated at 60.3 billion soums, with a discount - 40 billion soums. In the first year, the company should receive 9 billion soums within the approved limit.

When determining the cost of the work, the estimated project price of 1.06 trillion soums was taken into account. In addition, according to the MoM of the Cabinet of Ministers of July 19, 20 billion soums were contributed for the development of fuel and energy resources and project documents, which were to be handed over within three days.

To'palang HPD Platinum was chosen as the general contractor by the classified resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers dated August 18.

The agreement with the company was signed on August 20 (the document is not present on the public procurement portal). At the same time, according to an addendum agreement dated December 6, the total cost of the work of the contract within 2021 stands at 527.6 billion soums, including the cost of steel pipes from Russia worth total of 317.4 billion soums.

The general contractor received an advance payment of 30% of the cost of work - 175.8 billion soums, as well as an advance payment of 317.6 billion soums for the purchase of pipes.

The source of financing for the construction of the pipeline is the state budget.

The Minister of Housing and Communal Services Sherzod Khidoyatov underscored earlier that specialists from Turkey were involved in the design work. According to him, the project will be divided into several stages, and the water supply will begin immediately after the laying of the water supply system in the districts.

According to Unified State Register of Enterprises and Organizations data, the director and founder (61.7%) of To'palang HPD Holding is Islom Abdurakhmanov, the son of the head of Uzbekhydroenergo Abdugani Sanginov. Other founders are Naimjon Jumaev (10.5%), Karimjon Ruziev (7.1%), Saidumar Kholov (4.2%) and another 22 individuals (16.5%).

Islom Abdurakhmanov also owns shares in Zafis-Avto Plus (100%), which is engaged in the construction of distribution engineering facilities, and in Varis Business Complex (70%, other types of catering).

According to Article 64 of the Public Procurement Law, public procurement is carried out through a tender if the following conditions are simultaneously met:

• the criteria for determining the winner have not only a monetary value, but a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the product (work, service);
• the cost of goods (works, services) is over 25 thousand basic values (BV), or 6.75 billion soums (for budget customers - over 6,000 BVs, or 1.62 billion soums) under one contract.

At the same time, public procurement under direct contracts is allowed on the basis of decrees and resolutions of the President, resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers (Article 71). In this case, the contract and addendum agreements to it are subject to a comprehensive examination at the Center for Comprehensive Expertise.