This was reported by the deputy of the Bishkek city council, Zhanibek Asanbekov, who initiated a field commission to check the situation.
Representatives of architectural and sanitary services, as well as local residents who expressed their concerns, arrived for the inspection.
According to the residents, the cemetery is operational, despite the fact that the developers provided a document from the village council, dated 2018, about its closure.
During the commission's work, it was also revealed that sanitary and urban planning regulations were violated when permits for construction were issued, as confirmed by specialists present on site.
The construction is being carried out by the companies "Nurzaman" (urban villas Valencia) and "Shirin Business Group" (health center).
Local residents told Asanbekov that the cemetery has existed since 1953. As a result of the investigation, the head of the village council was detained for the illegal issuance of permit documents.
The deputy emphasized that the sanitary zone around cemeteries should be 100 meters, and any construction within this radius is prohibited. "They are building just 30 meters from the graves, which is a gross violation of the law. The architectural management of the Alamudun district issued the permit illegally. I plan to contact the prosecutor's office to verify the legality of these documents and assess the actions of officials," he noted.
Asanbekov expressed hope that the legal authorities would conduct an objective assessment of the situation and that all responsible parties would be punished according to the law.
The deputy indignantly asked local officials: "Can you issue a construction permit based on any paper?"
He also added that compliance with sanitary norms and respect for the memory of the deceased should not yield to commercial interests.
Developers' Opinion
The editorial team of Kaktus.media reached out to the construction company "Nurzaman" for clarification.Representatives of the company stated that all permit documents for construction were obtained in accordance with the law.
According to them, according to the sanitary norms approved by the government decree of April 11, 2016, No. 201, the minimum distance from cemeteries to residential buildings should be 300 meters, but depending on the area of the cemetery (less than 10 hectares), this distance can be reduced to 50-100 meters. "Currently, our construction is located 80 meters from the cemetery, which complies with the norms," the company explained.
Regarding the issue of closing the cemetery, representatives of "Nurzaman" claim that they received confirmation from the architecture department of the Alamudun district in 2018 that the cemetery was closed due to a lack of available space for new burials.
The editorial team of Kaktus.media has not yet been able to contact representatives of the second construction company - "Shirin Business Group," but is ready to publish their comments.
