Residents of Ust-Kamenogorsk are complaining about the heavy air. On 22 October, the city was blanketed by a thick 'fog' which, it turned out, had nothing to do with the weather. According to Kazhydromet, almost three times the permissible level of sulphur dioxide was recorded in the atmosphere.
As reported by ORDA, the level of sulphur dioxide in the city exceeds the norm by 2.9 times, and hydrogen sulphide by 1.8 times. The highest readings were recorded at monitoring station No. 4, located at 44 Shirokaya Street.
It is noted that air pollution has been observed in Ust-Kamenogorsk for almost a week. Local residents report a strong smell of gas and smoke, complaining of a sore throat and deteriorating health.
'It's terrible, this morning there was nothing to breathe in the city. Even adults feel unwell, let alone children,' writes one resident.
Many parents have demanded that schoolchildren be switched to distance learning. However, the city's education department stated that there are no grounds for this.
'At present, educational institutions are operating as normal. There are no grounds for cancelling classes,' the department reported.
Despite this, some parents have independently decided not to send their children to school.