The prosecutor's office of the Akkol District of the Akmola Region uncovered instances of the formal implementation of orders to eliminate rubbish dumps as part of the environmental campaign "Taza Kazakhstan". An inspection revealed that some reports from akimats (local administrations) regarding the cleanup of territories were not accurate.
According to the department's press service, 128 unauthorised waste disposal sites were recorded in the district. Local authorities claimed they had completely removed them, but a prosecutor's office inspection showed that the dumps remained in place, with the work having been carried out only on paper.
Following supervisory actions, 17 akims (heads) of rural districts were brought to administrative responsibility under Part 1 of Article 324 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Violation of sanitary, epidemiological, and environmental requirements for the protection of the environment"). After the prosecutor's office intervened, the authorised bodies carried out the cleanup of the territories and removed more than 5.8 thousand cubic metres of rubbish.
At the same time, legalised solid waste landfills are still absent in the district.
"All waste is disposed of at sites that do not meet environmental requirements and sanitary standards, as designated by local executive bodies," the report states.
The department noted that measures to bring these facilities into compliance or to legalise them are not being taken by the akimats.
Previously, the environmental prosecutor's office announced the concealment of information and violations by the authorities of the Kostanay Region in the field of waste management.
Two years ago, the department identified 436 unauthorised dumps and issued orders to the executive bodies for their elimination. Officials reported that the sites had been destroyed, but a follow-up inspection showed that this was not accurate.