Majilis deputy Bolatbek Aliyev has reported environmental violations during the repair of a bridge in Astana, near the residence of the President of Kazakhstan — the Akorda.
On his Facebook page, the Majilis member writes that during the restoration of the bridge, the contractor is committing violations potentially dangerous to the environment.
According to the deputy, the cleaning of metal structures is being carried out without adhering to basic environmental requirements: particles of paint, rust and sandblasting abrasive are settling directly on the riverbank and in the bed of the Esil River, next to which the bridge is located. At the same time, he says, the necessary filtration and protection equipment is absent.
“I walk across this bridge at least twice a day, right next to the Akorda. For several weeks, it’s been the same picture. A sandblasting machine works on this bridge every day. They are treating the underside right now. Metal structures are being cleaned of rust, old paint and deposits. But everything that is blasted off settles not into protected traps, but straight onto the asphalt and… into the river. It’s black dust, paint particles and abrasive. They are clearly not neutral for the environment — especially for the water, soil and living fauna”, wrote Bolatbek Aliyev.
He also noted that a city park, the House of Ministries and the President’s residence itself are located near the bridge.
“For sandblasting, slag sand is used — a by-product of metallurgy, which may contain heavy metals, silicon dioxide and other harmful substances. It is dangerous both when inhaled and when it enters the water. This is a direct environmental risk. Yes, perhaps some of it is captured. But the bulk goes straight down”, the statement reads.
The deputy emphasised that such work should be accompanied by capture screens and other environmental protection measures, as stipulated by regulations.
“This is a question for the Department of Ecology for the city of Astana. How was this work approved? If it wasn’t approved, why is it being carried out? And if it was, why is there no oversight? Besides your administrative functions, you also have a supervisory function, assigned by the Ministry of Ecology. Where is it?”, he questioned.
Bolatbek Aliyev also questioned the advisability of using metal structures in bridge construction and called for a switch to concrete, which, he says, requires lower maintenance costs and is safer for the environment.