DUSAHNBE, April 28, Asia-Plus -- For the purpose of enhancing quality of supply of water in the cities and the districts of Tajikistan the “Khojagii Manziliyu Kommunalii Tojikiston” (Tajik housing-communal company) State Unitary Enterprise plans to replace the metallic water pipes with the plastic ones, Muhammadjon Mahmadjonov, the Tajik housing-communal enterprise director general, told journalists on April 27. 

According to him, a work on replacement of the water pipes in the Rasht district (eastern Tajikistan) will have been completed by late April.  Mahmadjonov says they plan to replace the metallic water pipes with the plastic ones in all southern areas of the country, where the soil is heavily salted and high level of subsoil waters is reported.  

The Tajik state housing-communal company head noted that the metallic water pipelines in the country have not been replaced from 20 to 50 years.  Many of them have been corroded.  “In word practice, plastic water pipes are used,” said Mahmadjonov, “The service life of plastic pipes is 50 years.”   Besides, plastic pipes purchased from the Russia city of Kazan are cheaper than the metallic ones by 20%-30%, according to him.     

“The housing-communal company administration has appealed to international organizations active in Tajikistan for funds for purchasing welding equipment to work with new pipes,” Mahmadjonov said, noting that prices of such equipment fluctuate from US$5,000 to US$20,000.