President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation stone for the Hakarichay Reservoir in Lachin on July 11.

Zaur Mikayilov, Chairman of the State Water Resources Agency of Azerbaijan, briefed the head of state on the project.

According to the project, a reservoir with a total capacity of 100 million cubic meters and a useful storage capacity of 90 million cubic meters will be constructed on the Hakarichay River, which originates within Azerbaijan. The project also includes the construction of a 172-kilometer main pipeline with a discharge capacity of 8 cubic meters per second.

The infrastructure will have the capacity to supply high-quality drinking water at a rate of 2.5 cubic meters per second to approximately 700,000 residents of the Lachin, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Khojavend, and Aghdam districts.

The project also envisages the construction of three hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) with a total installed capacity of 10.81 MW along the main pipeline fed by the Hakarichay Reservoir.

The Hakarichay Reservoir will play an important role not only in ensuring a sustainable supply of high-quality drinking water but also in improving water resources management in the liberated territories. It is also expected to strengthen drinking water security in the region and support the supply of water to other major cities across the country, while contributing to regional socio-economic development.