Residents of Karaganda are complaining about the condition of the new Alash Square, the opening of which was announced for Republic Day but later postponed.
According to KTK, the square already has lit streetlights, installed benches, and various national elements. However, residents have begun sharing photos of broken parts of the structures.
"The asyk bones have already broken, it's really poor quality. Like rubber, even rubber is probably stronger. I saw them broken, they seemed to break on their own. It took so long, they started last year, they're still working on it, but it's poor quality, you can see it straight away. Then they'll start repairs again, probably another 2 billion on repairs," said a female resident of the city.
At the same time, residents of Karaganda criticised the children's playgrounds located in the square, which are almost entirely made of wood. The residents do not understand why the wooden structures have not been treated with anything.
"If it's dangerous, we simply won't go near it or walk there for long. Of course, it will be a shame if we can't enjoy all the benefits we could have used for that amount of money," stated a local resident.
It has become known that the cost of the controversial project was 1.2 billion tenge. The contractor has already received approximately 30% of the payment. Meanwhile, officials plan to spend even more budget money.
"Snow is coming soon, it will get colder. To avoid various injuries or any negative reactions, we will simply remove these elements now and put them into storage for the current year; we won't carry out any work there. For the children's elements made of wood, a notification has also been sent, and we are working on it together with the technical supervision. They will also be put in order. The project has gone for a second revision; we are expecting the amount. There will, accordingly, be an increase," said Nariman Itkarin, Head of the Amenities Planning Department of the Akimat of the Kazybek Bi District.
To recall, in June, residents of Karaganda criticised the decorative structures built at the entrance to the city, on which the city authorities spent 45 million tenge. Some residents thought the decorations resembled the capital's supports for the LRT.