Residents of the town of Ayagoz in the Abai Region report that their homes are still cold, despite the official start of the heating season a week ago.
According to Informburo.kz, the temperature in apartments remains low, and people are forced to warm themselves using electric heaters.
"There is no heating. They dug everything up back in August, and it's still all lying there. We are sitting in the cold, switching on heaters," said local resident Manarbek Bertis.
State-run kindergartens are also without heating, with some of them suspending operations due to the cold.
According to the Department of Housing, Public Utilities, Passenger Transport and Roads of the Ayagoz District, 571 million tenge was allocated to restore the heating system. However, as explained by the head of the department, Askhat Ibrayev, the funds arrived late, which delayed the start of repair work.
"We started this work in August. There were issues with the allocation of funds, the selection of a contractor, and other matters, so the start was delayed. We have been working since August. We will sort everything out," Ibrayev stated.
When exactly the contractor companies will complete the repairs, the Department of Housing and Public Utilities did not specify. Meanwhile, the first snow has already fallen in Ayagoz, and at night the temperature drops below zero.
It will be recalled that in August, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov drew attention to the risks of delays in completing repairs at energy enterprises before the heating season in a number of regions.
The head of government instructed the Ministry of Energy, together with local akimats, to ensure the timely completion of repairs to heat sources and heating networks. Bektenov noted that the heating season must begin strictly within the established deadlines.