DUSHANBE, August 5, 2015, Asia-Plus -- An enlarged meeting of the Tajik government, presided over by President Emomali Rahmon, took place on August 5.

According to the president’s official website, issues related to mitigating effects of recent mudslides and flooding and constructing houses for disaster affected families were a major topic of the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Rahmon also urged targeted use of budgetary funds and reduction of unimportant expenses.

The head of state also demanded at the meeting that adequate measures should be taken to ensure proper preparation of the country’s economy for autumn-winter 2015-2016.

We will recall that in the second half of July, high temperatures and rapid snow and glacier melting triggered flooding and mudslides, which have destroyed a great deal of infrastructure, commercial property, and households in mountain areas of Tajikistan.  Seven persons have been killed by mudslides – six in the Vanj district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) and one in the Rasht district (eastern Tajikistan).

Tajik MFA said on July 21 that the damages caused by the mudslides and floods were estimated at 100 million U.S. dollars.