In the Alga District of the Aktobe Region, residents of the village of Aksazdy are expressing concern over bird droppings from a poultry farm, which have been dumped at this location for over a week. This has resulted in foul-smelling piles, causing not only discomfort but also fears for the safety of drinking water.
According to ORDA, villagers fear that during the spring floods, ammonia from the waste could seep into groundwater, and then into irrigation ditches and water intake points, from where water is supplied to villages and even to Aktobe.
"There is an irrigation ditch here, and further on, a pumping station, from where water goes to nearby settlements — Aktobe, Bauyrlastar. And that poisoned water will flow there. We are afraid of poisoning; this is not fertiliser or new technology, as we were told, it is ammonia. They are deceiving us," said a resident of the village, Almaz Kartanbayev.
According to local residents, the smell has spread across the entire area, making it difficult to breathe in the village and increasing the number of flies. People keep their windows and doors closed and try not to leave their homes unless necessary.
"Chicken manure has never been used to fertilise the land in a lifetime; it burns it. It will simply kill the soil. There are few of us, but are we not people?" complained a villager, Galina Sizova.
As explained by a representative of the farm "Petrovka-1", Damir Batyrgaliuly, the droppings were brought in as part of preparations for autumn sowing. According to him, organic fertiliser cultivation technology is being used, and the material itself was purchased from the farm "Aktobe Agro".
Previously, environmentalists identified this enterprise as the main source of the unpleasant smell in Aktobe. Following complaints from city residents, the use of waste near the city was banned, and it was ordered to be removed beyond populated areas. But, as it turned out, it was simply moved near the village of Aksazdy.
The Akim of the Ushkuduk Rural District, Berik Akdauletov, stated that local authorities did not issue a permit for the removal and disposal of bird droppings near the village.
"The head of the farm, Alibek Bazargaliyev, says that they reached an agreement with 'Aktobe Agro'. But we did not see this agreement yesterday during the meeting with the public. Representatives from the district agriculture department were present. The transport of waste was stopped yesterday; they will not transport it anymore. But what has already been unloaded onto the ground must be destroyed using machinery. Of course, it is all illegal," he explained.
Approximately 70 people live in the village of Aksazdy, predominantly elderly. Despite the lack of infrastructure, the residents do not want to leave their homes and are demanding the removal of the source of the stench, which threatens their health and the environment.
Previously, we reported on the illegal use of liquid waste on irrigated fields without the mandatory environmental permit in the Pavlodar Region.