In the Shardara district of the Turkestan region, a group of farmers has accused a private construction company of destroying crops of alfalfa and cotton. They claim that the company's machinery entered the fields to carry out earthworks and damaged the agricultural land.
According to Informburo.kz, farmer Maira Shetenova stated that as a result of the contractors' actions, more than 5.5 hectares of alfalfa were destroyed.
"They turned over so much land. Now I won't get anything from the second, third, or fourth cut," she said.
As it became known, the company was excavating the site to reach a pipeline laid about 40 years ago. According to the farmers, part of the utilities run under an irrigation canal. The farmers fear that if work continues, the water supply to the fields could be disrupted, and the crops could perish.
The situation was commented on by the akim of the Kosseiit rural district, Nurbol Zhainarov. According to him, the parties have reached a temporary agreement.
"The other day, people came to an agreement with the LLP 'Ferrum Vtor'. They have now agreed that the excavated part will be cleared, and the remainder will be dug up in autumn. In the future, we will help restore the damaged area," said the akim.
The farmers have stated that they intend to keep watch over their fields to prevent further damage to the crops.
It should be recalled that earlier, farmers from the Sayram district of the Turkestan region reported a shortage of irrigation water for sowing work. According to them, this could lead to crop loss. Water from the River Aksu does not reach the nearest fields, while supply continues to other, more remote areas.