A complicated situation has emerged in the village of Priirtyshskoye in the Abai region. The centralised sewage system is not working properly, resulting in sewage waste being discharged outside the settlement. However, some residents believed that the waste was polluting the Irtysh River. The editorial team of FBRK looked into the situation.
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For reference: the village of Priirtyshskoye (commonly known as Utinka) belongs to the Zhanasemey district of the Abai region and is part of the Irtysh rural district. The village is located on the left bank of the Irtysh, approximately 18 km west of the city of Semey.
As local residents reported, the village of Priirtyshskoye once flourished, but over time the infrastructure fell into disrepair. The centralised sewage septic tanks became overfilled, and sewage disposal trucks from Semey stopped servicing the village.
According to the villagers, to resolve the issue, the akim of the Irtysh rural district, Nurzhan Imanbai, held a meeting with the village elders. It was decided that the village sewage truck would discharge waste outside the village on a vacant plot near the local landfill.
But some residents did not support this decision. A video appeared online, in which the author claims that the sewage truck driver is dumping waste into the Irtysh. In the footage, the driver explains that he is acting with the permission of the rural district akim.
The video attracted the attention of environmentalists. As a result, the driver was banned from taking waste to the vacant plot, and residents were required to pay for the services of sewage trucks from Semey. The FBRK editorial team has a video recording showing the driver pointing out the actual discharge location of the waste, which is far from the riverbank.
Notably, the akim of the rural district, who had previously agreed on the waste discharge location, changed his position. On social media, Mr Imanbai denies having issued permission and insists that sewage waste should be taken to a designated site in the city of Semey.
Undoubtedly, discharging waste in an unauthorised place, even far from the river, is not the best solution. The situation is complicated by the fact that the services of sewage trucks from Semey cost residents at least 30,000 tenge per month – a significant sum for a rural area.
The FBRK editorial team contacted the akimat of the Abai region for clarification on the situation. The akimat confirmed that sewage waste had been discharged in an unauthorised place, but noted that the waste disposal did not affect the Irtysh River, as it was carried out 1.5-2 km away from it.
The regional body also confirmed that the akim of the rural district did not give orders for the sewage waste to be discharged. An inspection was carried out regarding the violation. Those responsible were held accountable, and the local police officer was tasked with increasing monitoring.
Since residents are complaining about the high cost of services from private sewage disposal companies, the regional akimat appealed to the State Municipal Enterprise "Semey Vodokanal" to temporarily allow waste to be discharged into the treatment facilities near the neighbouring village of Mukur, until a site for discharging wastewater and solid waste is built in the village of Priirtyshskoye.
However, the enterprise refused the request and reminded that waste can only be discharged in the city of Semey. In this regard, as the regional akimat reports, for legal waste removal, owners of sewage disposal trucks need to sign a contract with "Semey Vodokanal" and pay for services according to established tariffs.
The situation in the village of Priirtyshskoye demonstrates a systemic problem in the organisation of utility services in rural areas. The high cost of legal waste disposal and the lack of alternative solutions have led to violations of environmental legislation.
In this regard, questions arise for the akimat of the Irtysh rural district: why, given the deterioration of the sewage system, has an additional pit for waste not yet been built? How are budget funds allocated for improving infrastructure being used?
The FBRK editorial team suggests that a comprehensive solution to the problem is needed at the level of local and regional authorities, including the modernisation of infrastructure and a review of tariff policy. We will monitor developments as they unfold.