Orphans in Petropavlovsk, who received housing amidst scandal, are suffering from dampness and sewer odours in their apartments.
According to Kazinform, the unbearable smell appeared after the basements of some houses were flooded with sewage in April. For several months, residents have been asking the authorities to address the problem, but so far the Akimat has taken no significant action.
“The basements are completely full of sewage water. It’s not meltwater, as the representatives of the Akimat and the deputy told us at the meeting. The flood ended long ago. We live on the fourth floor, and the smell is terrible. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the apartment; they get into every crack. It’s impossible to sleep. None of the remedies work. We have repeatedly contacted the Akimat, and representatives from the management company came. They pumped out the water, but after a day or two, the basements are full again, and the smell returns”, said Ksenia Tytenok, a mother of three and an orphan.
Another resident of the building, Zarina Pivnyak, complains about dampness and insects in the apartments. She also said that locals fear the foundation may collapse.
“I live on the first floor. The corner of the children’s room is damp, the window is cracked. The stench is constant; you can’t even go into the bathroom. You lie in bed — the stench, you go out onto the balcony — the stench. Mosquitoes, midges. The laundry in the bottom drawers of the wardrobe is damp. I can’t imagine how we will continue living here. Everything will freeze in winter, and what will happen in spring? This is rental and communal housing; we can’t do anything. The house is under warranty, but the developer won’t contact us. Yet we’ve been paying for all services from day one. We are worried that the water will start destroying the foundation”, the woman said.
Furthermore, it became known that in July, employees of the Petropavlovsk Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Department took samples of water and soil near the houses for bacteriological and sanitary-parasitological indicators.
According to the study results, roundworm eggs were found in the soil, after which experts sent a letter to the Akimat for action.
For his part, the city akim, Serik Mukhamediyev, commented on the situation with the houses.
“We have six rental and communal houses. Their basements were flooded. There were also a number of problems related to the sewer pipe. It was blocked. It’s being cleared now. In one place, the pipe had actually subsided, so it was replaced. Now ‘Kyzylzhar su’ is flushing the system. It’s basically nearing completion. They’ve already flushed the entire pumping station. Once it’s working, the problem will be resolved. The problem started in spring, we know that. At first, it was difficult to get access. Then we couldn’t understand the cause: whether the water came from the ground or something else. In the end, we realised that the sewer system was destroyed by water in one place. Plus, there was heavy siltation. In other words, the work was done poorly. They’re sorting it out now. I think the problem will be resolved soon”, the akim reported.
It became known that the contract with the company that carried out the work was terminated last year. Now, Kyzylzhar Su LLP is dealing with the issue. The general director, Zhenis Sultanov, promises that work in the basements of the houses will be completed in the coming weeks.
“This is not an issue for ‘Kyzylzhar su’, but we asked them to finish the job, as they are specialists. We will bring the basements up to standard. Also, the issue of landscaping hasn’t been resolved yet. We will see everything through to the end”, the akim assured.
It is noted that 6 houses in the ‘Bereke’ microdistrict were supposed to be commissioned back in 2021, but they were only handed over last winter.
Among those waiting for housing were mainly people from socially vulnerable categories, including single mothers, orphans, large families, and others. It is reported that they received the apartments amidst scandal.
Initially, they were given the keys on the eve of a public holiday, but the people were unable to move in at that time. The entrances were locked.
“Local authorities explained the situation with various reasons, ranging from updating the waiting lists to a broken power cable. Residents were able to move into the apartments only after a public outcry in the media. At that time, the Akim of Petropavlovsk, Serik Mukhamediyev, personally came to the residents and apologised”, the report states.