"A drop of water is a grain of gold" in Turkmenistan

Since 1995, the first Sunday of April in Turkmenistan has been designated as the national holiday “A drop of water is a grain of gold.” The celebration was founded by decree of Saparmurat Niyazov, the president of the country, to whom the form of address “Turkmenbashi”, otherwise “the head of all Turkmens,” was adopted. There are several different words for water in the Turkmen official language. Where a Russian uses a phrase, for example, drinking water, a Turkmen uses a special term, “Ichilyan.” If we consider local dialects, then there are an order of magnitude more ways to designate this or that type of life-giving moisture. In different areas, rainwater, drinking water, raw water, boiled water, fresh water, salt water, river water and mineral water are called similar-sounding, same-rooted, but still different words. Irrigation moisture (“water for irrigation” or “water for the ground”) will stand apart. Such a careful and reverent attitude towards the most important liquid in life is dictated by harsh realities. The country is rich in natural gas and ranks fourth in the world in terms of the number of cubic meters of blue fuel produced. But at the same time, it cannot boast of access to the World Ocean; it is located at a considerable distance from large bodies of water (it has a not very long coastline of the Caspian Sea washing the country). Precipitation is scarce, and the climate of Turkmenistan is extremely dry. Most of the moisture that falls in the form of rare rain and snow evaporates. And no raw material resources that could be sold are able to compensate for the shortage of the main source of life. Water. It is water that is a sign of the origin of life; it is what is sought first of all on those planets that may be inhabited. Therefore, in such arid areas, moisture is especially highly valued and is compared in importance to the immutable value of gold. The culture and traditions of the Central Asian peoples dictate the economical use of water. Turkmenbashi, with his resolution, only strengthened this concern for moisture conservation. The holiday “A drop of water is a grain of gold” is considered as a professional celebration by workers in the field of land reclamation, irrigation and all water management in Turkmenistan. According to the president's long-term plan, the country needs to be turned into a thriving resort, which requires artificially softening the desert climate. Since the proclamation of the celebration, several reservoirs have already been built on the territory of the state; a special role in the conservation of water and the development of initial plans is assigned to the Turkmen lake. When constructing it, the entire sad experience of the Karakum Canal should be taken into account. This structure, for all its gigantic importance in irrigation, caused significant damage to the geographical environment and became an important factor in the death of the Aral Sea. If the motto “A drop of water is a grain of gold” is applied correctly and taking into account all the consequences of human activity, you can save the jewelry and get the desired comfort. The holiday is intended to make every effort to realize the dream of a rich and prosperous country without damage to the surrounding lands.