(27 January 2026 | Source: Telegram channel 'HALYQSTAN')
In the town of Makinsk, Akmola Region, contamination of irrigation ditches has been recorded, with the water taking on an unusual pinkish-red hue. Following inspections, specialists confirmed that the source of the contamination is a local industrial enterprise — Makinsk Thermal Insulation Plant LLP.
DETECTION AND ANALYSIS
In December 2025, residents of Kosmodemyanskaya Street reported the unusual colour of the water in the ditches, according to the Telegram channel 'HALYQSTAN'.
In response to the reports, specialists from the Department of Ecology of the Akmola Region, together with representatives of the local akimat, the sanitary service, and the Department for Emergency Situations of the Bulandy District, visited the site and took samples.
Laboratory analysis revealed exceedances of standards for several parameters: ammonium nitrogen, dry residue, copper, total iron, sulfates, chlorides, chromium, and manganese.
SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION
An unscheduled inspection established that the enterprise's site contains a temporary storage area for industrial waste.
Water samples were taken from an earthen ditch originating directly from the enterprise's territory.
As ecologists determined, the leachate forming from this area flows via a drainage channel into two storage tanks. Samples from the tanks confirmed the presence of the same pollutants found in the ditch, and no other sources of contamination were identified.
SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES AND RESPONSE MEASURES
Following the inspection, an administrative protocol was drawn up against Makinsk Thermal Insulation Plant LLP under Article 326 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The materials have been sent to the Bulandy District Court.
The enterprise has been issued an order to rectify the violations. The plant must develop a plan of technical measures to prevent further contamination, carry out the reclamation of the irrigation ditch, and install monitoring wells to strengthen environmental control.