Officials from the Tashkent Main Department of Ecology and Climate Change have investigated social media reports detailing a damaged sewage pipe along Shota Rustaveli Street, which led to wastewater leaking into the Salar Canal.
The investigation revealed that during the construction of a multi-story residential building by B.B. LLC in Yakkasaray district, a pipe connected to the city's central sewerage system was damaged, causing a section of it to collapse. Instead of being diverted or treated, the accumulating liquid waste was pumped directly into the Salar Canal running through the district using specialized pumps.
Lab analysis conducted by the Tashkent Department of Ecology’s testing laboratory showed alarming levels of contamination. The wastewater samples exceeded standard safety limits for petroleum product residues by 5.02 times, ammonium nitrogen by 43.5 times, chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 4.9 times, and suspended solids by 13.6 times. Furthermore, soil samples taken from where the liquid waste had accumulated showed petroleum residue concentrations ranging from 2.6 to 11.4 mg/kg.
According to the Tashkent Department for Canal Maintenance and Adjacent Area Landscaping, a total of 63,936 cubic meters of liquid waste was illegally dumped into the canal without authorization. This action constitutes a flagrant violation of Article 19 of the Nature Protection Law as well as Articles 23, 117, and 153 of the Water Code. Consequently, environmental damage compensation has been assessed at 2,160,013,824 UZS.
Additionally, the collapse of the sewage network and the subsequent pooling of wastewater caused significant soil contamination across the local terrain. Analytical results showed that petroleum residues in the soil exceeded standard baseline concentrations by an average of 5.2 times, resulting in a separate soil damage fine of 60,027,081 UZS. In total, B.B. LLC faces an overall environmental compensation penalty of 2,220,040,905 UZS.
Stay up to date with all the latest news:
