He raised the question of why Bishkek has been unable to leave this alarming list for the past three years. "What is preventing this? Is it a lack of effort?" he clarified.
The Minister of Natural Resources, Meder Mashiev, responded that this rating is not authoritative on the international stage. According to him, there is only one website that is relied upon for measuring air pollution, using data from sensors.
"During this time, the air quality in Bishkek has improved slightly. In fact, the situation is not as critical as these sensors indicate, and Kyrgyzstan cannot be ranked first in pollution. Nevertheless, the problem persists. To provide the population with reliable information, Kyrgyzhydromet is installing its own sensors to monitor air quality. Automatic stations will be set up in the cities by 2026," the minister reported.
"I also do not believe that Bishkek can be ranked first in the world for air pollution. From a physics and chemistry standpoint, this is impossible. Our city's population is 1.3 million, while other cities have around 10 million. I ask you to pay attention to this. There may be technical issues. This raises public concern, and it is necessary to provide the population with accurate data," Kydyraliev addressed Mashiev.
