A meeting between Kyzylorda Akim Nurzhan Akhatov and residents of the suburban Sabalak settlement, who have been suffering from a lack of drinking water for several years, provoked a strong emotional reaction from the official, reports Channel 31.
It is worth noting that people invited the akim into their homes in the hope that the new leader would be able to solve the drinking water issue if he saw it with his own eyes.
"There is no water. We drink bad water meant for watering the garden. It doesn't flow at night or during the day. I go to the well every day to check," said Gulsanim Aukenova.
Residents of the village of Sabalak have been suffering from a shortage of drinking water for years. In 2019, long-awaited water supply work began in the settlement.
A main water line was even laid from the neighbouring village. 600 million tenge was allocated from the republican budget for these purposes.
However, despite all the promises, the work still has not been completed. It remains unclear when the settlement's residents will finally have running water. Moreover, the city akim's reaction to the long-standing problem of the local residents' lack of drinking water raises many questions.
"What am I supposed to do now? I'm not a miracle worker who provides water. I'm looking into it. I'll be monitoring the situation," responded Nurzhan Akhatov.