Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, visited the Lolazor mahalla in Tashkent's Mirobod district on Thursday, July 30. This is one of many neighborhoods in the capital where trees, children's playgrounds, and football fields are being destroyed under the pretext of constructing "modern" mahalla buildings (which typically occupy only the first floor). The prosecutor's office, courts, and other agencies often fail to see violations in these cases, and construction companies may intimidate dissatisfied residents with lawsuits.
The situation in Lolazor was highlighted a few days earlier by resident Yevgeniya Muminova. "According to the object's passport, the building height is 27.5 meters (equivalent to a 9-story building). No public discussions were held. The construction permit was based on a meeting of the [city council of people's deputies] held on January 21, 2026, which was attended by district officials and only one representative of the mahalla residents," her report stated.
"The Mirobod district prosecutor's office found no violations in the construction of a multi-story building based on a permit for the reconstruction of a one-story structure. Residents of nearby houses requested a review of the legality of building a parking lot on the site of a children's playground, but prosecutor's office staff did not provide a substantive response, merely indicating that a construction permit had been obtained. However, residents are demanding verification of the legality of land allocation for the parking lot and whether there are legal grounds for constructing a separate high-rise among residential buildings," wrote a representative of the residents.
"The country's leadership promised us more green areas, children's playgrounds, sports fields for adults, and even a swimming pool in every district. Why instead do we see multi-story buildings being erected on every empty plot? We need a sports ground and green space, not a building with a parking lot!" she wrote.
The previous day, Gazeta published a letter from another activist, Anatoly Osipov, who reported that employees of the district's landscaping service had ruthlessly cut down young trees he had tended for three years.
Saida Mirziyoyeva confirmed: "We witnessed trees planted by mahalla residents being brutally cut down and uprooted. Instead of a children's playground, a business center is planned."
"People are crying out — due to construction, common courtyards, playgrounds, and sports grounds in the capital are being completely destroyed," the head of the Presidential Administration wrote.
"Urban areas allocated for public use are not intended for office or residential buildings; they must serve their purpose," she emphasized.
She announced that the Prosecutor General's Office will conduct a full inventory of such facilities across Tashkent.
"It is necessary to check the legality of issued construction permits, compliance with urban planning norms, and respect for residents' rights. If violations are found, responsible persons will face uncompromising punitive measures; if necessary, the guilty will be deprived of liberty," said Saida Mirziyoyeva.
According to Gazeta, the prosecutor's office is already conducting an investigation into the Lolazor project.
Residents report that another area has been fenced off, and a children's playground has disappeared there as well. Additionally, two more courtyards have previously been occupied for construction.
The photos show that the head of the Presidential Administration was accompanied by Tashkent city prosecutor Anvar Urmonov, his independent advisor and representative of the Presidential Administration in the US Komil Allamjonov, first deputy head of the Presidential Administration's Department for Public Security and Rule of Law Aziz Azimov, first deputy mayor of the capital for construction, barrier-free environment, communications development, ecology, and greening Bakhtiyor Rakhmonov, and others.
Gazeta has reported on several such cases where courtyards were turned into construction sites. Following a recent article about the Cholpon mahalla, construction there was canceled. However, before that, residents had fought against the construction for over a year and lost in three courts. An article about another mahalla will be published in the coming days.
Source: www.gazeta.uz