The canals extending from it were completely dry. Several hundred acres of rice and cotton depend on these canals. Among those fields are those of Muyadin Mahabetov. Last spring, Mahabetov, a farmer who lives outside Tartakupir, planted 80 hectares of rice. Without water, none survived.
Rumors abound that thousands have fled the region, unable to survive.
Mahabetov says that he knows seven families in his district who moved to Kazakhstan. The problems extend beyond agriculture. Drinking water has also become scarce, and many wells have dried up. Many Karakalpaks must get their drinking water from drainage canals, which are almost always dangerously contaminated with bacteria and chemicals. In the evenings, the roads are filled with people toting jugs and buckets to and from these canals.