In Ust-Kamenogorsk, residents are reporting headaches, dizziness and a tickling in the throat amid recorded exceedances of pollutant concentrations in the air.
WHAT RESIDENTS ARE REPORTING
According to Syrmedia.kz, residents of Ust-Kamenogorsk are reporting feeling unwell, with the symptoms described including headache, dizziness, nausea and a tickling in the throat. They are posting their complaints on social media and say they have been feeling poorly for several days.
Users are also sharing photographs of the city and screenshots of services that rate air quality as poor.
WHAT IS KNOWN
According to Kazhydromet, exceedances of permitted concentrations of pollutants in the city were recorded for several days in a row.
On 9 September, the concentration of hydrogen sulphide reached 2.075 MPC, and on 10 September — 1.725 MPC. On 8 September, exceedances were recorded for hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
For 11 September, Kazhydromet again warned of first-degree adverse weather conditions. Weather conditions will contribute to the accumulation of pollutants over the city.
WHAT DATA THEY PLAN TO COLLECT
As reported by Yk.kz, in 2027, Ust-Kamenogorsk plans to develop a consolidated volume of maximum permissible emissions (MPE) with a calculation of the total emissions of pollutants from all stationary sources in the city. 30 million tenge has been allocated from the local budget for this work, and the akimat of Ust-Kamenogorsk is named as the responsible executor.
According to the draft Plan of Measures for Environmental Protection of the East Kazakhstan Region (EKR) for 2026–2028, the result should be a consolidated calculation of emissions from all stationary sources.
At the same time, air quality monitoring systems purchased with budget funds are already operating in the city. However, data from them is not available to the public. Local government bodies have also stopped sending media information with warnings about adverse weather conditions.
