The head of the police department of the Abai region, Eldar Daniyarov, has proposed creating a water police unit to patrol the shores of Lake Alakol. He put forward the initiative at a meeting with the regional governor, where they discussed developing the resort area, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the safety of holidaymakers.
According to the Telegram channel "HALYQSTAN", the police reported that the majority of incidents occur on the water. It was noted that some cases end in tragedy.
As an example, they cited an incident from late July, when a boat struck a 63-year-old woman 200–250 metres from the shore, in an area not designated for swimming. The woman died, and the boat driver was placed in a temporary detention facility.
Staff at holiday resorts and holidaymakers themselves have repeatedly drawn the authorities' attention to the lack of proper control over watercraft.
According to them, boats and jet skis move freely across the lake and often come too close to the shore, posing a threat to swimmers.
Currently, on the shores of Lake Alakol, police officers work on a rotational basis each year from 15 June to 30 August.
Each month, 44 officers are assigned to patrol duties, and around 240 people are deployed over the entire season. However, their authority is limited to the shoreline — they are not provided with watercraft and cannot monitor the situation on the water.
Oversight of the water area falls to the Transport Control Inspectorate of the Abai region, but control is carried out by just one officer for the entire region.
Against this backdrop, the proposal was made to create a separate water police unit that could patrol the coastal areas and the waters of Lake Alakol. As Eldar Daniyarov noted, such a measure should improve the level of safety for holidaymakers.
Earlier, a young woman drowned at one of the beaches of the Kapchagai Reservoir. It happened in front of Majilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek, who was on holiday there. According to him, the woman was pulled from the water by boat renters, and bystanders attempted to give first aid — the management of the resort area was not present at the scene of the incident.
Later, a working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Yermek Kosherbayev inspected tourist zones in the Almaty and Karaganda regions, as well as in the Zhetysu and Abai regions.
During the inspection trip, systemic violations were identified. At the Kapchagai Reservoir, Lake Alakol, and Lake Balkhash, complaints from citizens about the poor state of tourist infrastructure, insufficient service levels, and a lack of necessary safety measures were confirmed.
Following the inspection, disciplinary measures were taken against the responsible officials.