A special commission of the Association of Environmental Organisations of Kazakhstan is finalising its conclusion on the problem of persistent unpleasant odours from the KOS-1 wastewater treatment facilities in Astana. According to activist Bulat Kassymov, the main cause is sludge, which is being transported to storage sites without necessary processing, in violation of environmental regulations.
The draft document is expected to be published by the end of next week. It contains not just a description of the situation, but legally substantiated evidence that meets legislative requirements. The commission emphasises that this format allows the transition from complaints to specific, evidence-backed demands.
"This is not a collection of phrases from meetings or a retelling of discussions. It is a professionally prepared conclusion that meets all legal requirements," representatives of the Association stated.
According to them, the lack of legally formalised evidence had for years held back the resolution of the problem. Residents knew the cause of the smell, but their complaints remained at the level of subjective grievances.
Based on the conclusion, demands will be made to the city's akimat — primarily regarding funding and the involvement of technology companies to process the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of residual sludge accumulated over the years.
The commission will assume public oversight of each stage of fulfilling these obligations.
Earlier, a video appeared on social media showing a dark liquid flowing into the Ishim River. Activist Bolat Bachzhanov suggested that this could be poorly treated wastewater from the capital.
The state enterprise "Astana Su Arnasy" responded promptly, organising a tour of its treatment facilities. In addition to the plant itself, the discharge point of the "dark water" was also shown. Water samples were taken by the ecology department and the "Astana Su Arnasy" laboratory. The results of the analysis have not yet been received.