Residents of Almaty living on Köñil tolqyny Street (formerly Zarechnaya) have found themselves in a difficult situation after work began on laying a water pipeline. According to them, due to the contractor's actions and the local authorities' inaction, they have been left not only without water but also with almost no access to their own homes.
According to the Telegram channel «HALYQSTAN», the road has been dug up with trenches for a week now. To get home, people have to climb over construction machinery and hold onto fences, risking falling into a pit. The heavy rain that fell the previous day worsened the situation – the street has turned into a muddy quagmire.
There are 36 houses on the dug-up section, home to families with children, pensioners, and people with disabilities.
“My gate opens directly onto this street, and I can't leave the house to get to the clinic. The workers have placed the manholes right up against the fence, and they have nowhere else to put them because the street is narrow,” said Yelena Tsapenko, a Group II disabled person suffering from cancer.
Local residents claim that the water supply here was replaced 12 years ago. According to them, the pipes and meters are in working order.
“We have water and meters installed. Don't residents on other streets have problems with the city water supply? What is the need to replace pipes whose service life hasn't expired yet?” one of the pensioners wondered.
According to residents, the cost of the project for a 1.5 km section amounted to 7.5 billion tenge and is planned over two years. The documents state that the pipes are to be laid along Köñil tolqyny Street to the main road and then on to the school.
It is reported that last week, builders damaged the existing water pipeline, leaving the houses without water. Supply was only temporarily restored.
A particular concern for local residents is that the restoration of the asphalt is not planned for this year. With the arrival of autumn and winter, the road could become completely impassable.
Residents have sent a collective appeal to the Medeu District Akimat asking for an explanation of the situation and for measures to be taken, but have not yet received a response.