A meeting was recently held under the leadership of Nurlan Ermatov, the first deputy representative of the president in the region. The main topic of discussion was the cessation of illegal extraction of inert materials and the search for alternative quarries.
Members of the regional commission, local authorities, and entrepreneurs attended the meeting. According to information presented at the meeting, illegal extraction of sand and gravel in the Kök-Art riverbed has led to a deepening of the riverbed by 2–8 meters.
This has created a threat to 2,547 residential houses and 898 hectares of agricultural land. Fines totaling 526,000 soms have been imposed on entrepreneurs who violated environmental regulations. From 2024 to 2025, a temporary ban on the extraction of sand and gravel will be introduced in certain sections of the river.
The meeting also discussed the reclamation of the Kök-Art and Kara-Darya river sections, measures to combat illegal extraction, as well as the organization of raids and the search for alternative quarries to supply major state projects with necessary materials.
As a result of the meeting, all entrepreneurs were required to complete the reclamation of their sites by February 20. Law enforcement agencies, environmental services, and local authorities will jointly develop a schedule and organize round-the-clock raids. The equipment of violators will be placed in a penalty parking lot.
In addition, an inventory of asphalt concrete plants, crushers, and other illegal facilities along the Kök-Art and Kara-Darya rivers will be conducted. Workers at illegal facilities will be denied access to electricity.
Participants in the meeting emphasized that the main tasks are to reduce the risk of mudflows and floods, protect populated areas, and ensure compliance with the law, adding that the implementation of all assignments will be monitored.
