ON THE PATH TO COTTON DEVELOPMENT: THE INITIAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE KASHKADARYA IRRIGATION SYSTEM (1930–1940)

Abstract

This article analyzes the processes of a radical transformation of the irrigation system in the Kashkadarya region during the 1930s and 1940s. During the Soviet era, the development of irrigated agriculture, particularly cotton cultivation, was at the center of agrarian policy. The arid climate of Kashkadarya and the inefficiency of the existing old irrigation networks demanded new scientifically based hydrotechnical solutions. The article details the scientific research of scholars such as G.N. Vinogradov, the early survey and design works of the 1920s–1930s (Uzvodproiz, SANIIRI), land and water reforms, and the construction of canals and hydrotechnical structures (e.g., “1 May,” “8 March,” the Koson Main Canal). Furthermore, it analyzes the major construction projects of 1939, the drought problems of the 1940s, post-war recovery efforts, and the initial stages of projects to divert water from the Zarafshan and Amu Darya rivers. The article demonstrates that during the 1930s–1940s, the irrigation system gradually transitioned from simple, historical methods to a modern, engineering-based system, highlighting the interconnection between scientific research and practical construction works. At the same time, it emphasizes that the limited water resources and years of drought revealed the system’s vulnerabilities.