The specialised environmental prosecutor's office of the North Kazakhstan Region has identified violations of forestry legislation in the activities of executive bodies.
According to the press service of the department, the region has insufficient material and technical equipment for fire stations, including a lack of equipment for fire-fighting machinery, premises for housing firefighters, and heated garages.
Furthermore, all forestry institutions in the region lack an automatic system for the early detection of forest fires (FireWatch).
At the same time, executive bodies ignored proposals for the acquisition of special aircraft and the construction of helicopter landing pads in locations difficult to access by road.
"Other violations were also identified concerning the condition of fire hydrants and water reservoirs for water intake, the construction of protective mineralised strips, and there is weak educational work to inform the population of evacuation plans and the creation of voluntary firefighting units", the statement reads.
Following an act of prosecutorial supervision, 296.6 million tenge was allocated from the regional budget for the purchase of special fire-fighting equipment and machinery, and 45 million tenge for the purchase of services for early fire detection.
Twelve officials were brought to disciplinary responsibility, including three district akims.
"The issue of leasing is also being resolved for the acquisition of fire-fighting equipment through JSC 'Industrial Development Fund' for the amount of 3.3 billion tenge, which will make it possible to 100% provide forest owners with fire engines and wheeled tractors according to current standards and norms", the department reported.
It should be recalled that it was previously reported that this year the state allocated a record 52 billion tenge for the purchase of fire-fighting equipment.
On 8 October, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations contained a large fire in the territories of the Karaganda and Pavlodar regions. The area of the fire reached 45 thousand hectares. During the extinguishing efforts, a 33-year-old senior firefighter-rescuer Khali Khairat from the city of Saran, Karaganda Region, died. Five other people sustained burns, one of whom is in intensive care.
In June last year, a large fire occurred in the forests of the Abai Region, which resulted in the deaths of 14 employees of the 'Semey Ormany' forest nature reserve. The fire destroyed more than 63 thousand hectares of a unique relict pine forest. The damage exceeded 160 billion tenge.
Later, two officials who held senior positions in the reserve and the Novoshulbinsky branch received 7 years in prison each.
In July of this year, it was reported that the director of a branch of the 'Semey Ormany' reserve was detained in the Abai Region. He is suspected of timber theft. In addition to him, law enforcement officers detained more than 20 people.