Discussions have unfolded in Tashkent around plans to organize a parking lot and improve public space on a 1.3-hectare area behind the Alisher Navoi National Library. The National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change reported the absence of an environmental impact assessment for the project.

Earlier reports indicated that the project envisions creating a parking lot, pedestrian and bicycle paths, recreation areas, children's and workout zones without cutting down existing trees or conducting major construction. The plan includes planting over 1,000 trees and shrubs, as well as laying a new 720-meter sidewalk. The land plot is set to be auctioned electronically for transfer to a private partner for 10 years, with 20 percent of parking fee revenues directed to the city budget.

In turn, the ecological department emphasized that any construction or improvement work that could affect green spaces and soil cover without a positive environmental assessment is unacceptable. The committee insists on a full inventory of existing trees to maximize their preservation and for the project documentation to undergo all established procedures.

It is worth noting that the debate around the project once again raises the issue of balancing urban infrastructure development with environmental sustainability. Members of the public are questioning the transparency of the project and its environmental consequences, while officials promise compliance with all legal norms.

Source: podrobno.uz