The causes of a major fire at a landfill in the Akhangaran district of Tashkent region, which led to a sharp deterioration of air quality in Tashkent, have been revealed. According to the Ecopolice, the fire on July 10 was caused by gross violations of waste disposal and burial rules.

The fire occurred at a municipal solid waste landfill located at the 32nd kilometer of the Akhangaran highway in the village of Yangi Hayot. Environmental specialists arrived at the scene, conducted an inspection, and issued an order to the landfill manager to immediately extinguish the fire.

However, a follow-up inspection on July 11 found that the violations had not been eliminated and the fire continued. A new administrative protocol was drawn up against the landfill manager.

Laboratory tests revealed severe air pollution: carbon monoxide concentration exceeded the norm by 10.7 times, formaldehyde by 12.2 times, nitrogen dioxide by 12.8 times, sulfur dioxide by 9 times, and hydrogen sulfide by 1.5 times.

Specialists attribute the deterioration of air quality in Tashkent to weather conditions. On the evening of July 11, calm weather was first observed in the capital, after which the wind strengthened and began blowing from the direction of Akhangaran. During this period, monitoring stations recorded an increase in the concentration of fine particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10.

As a result of the inspection, the company Maxsustrans-ISHB was charged compensation for environmental damage amounting to over 683 million soums. Documents are now being prepared for submission to court.

The National Committee on Ecology noted that the landfill began construction back in 2021, but the facility has not yet been officially put into operation. Despite this, since May 2025, municipal waste from Tashkent has been transported there.

Source: podrobno.uz