A major environmental violation involving the unauthorized extraction of sand and gravel has been uncovered in the Gijduvan district of the Bukhara region. According to official reports from the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, illicit mining activities conducted on pastureland resulted in severe ecological degradation, with total damages estimated at 8.9 billion som. The case has sparked significant concern among local environmental authorities regarding the protection of natural resources.
Key Takeaways: Unauthorized sand and gravel extraction in Gijduvan district caused 8.9 billion som in environmental damage. The illegal operation on pastureland by an individual identified as B.G. was detected using surveillance drones.
The illegal activity was brought to light during routine monitoring and raid operations conducted by the Ecopolice officers of the regional Main Directorate of Ecology and Climate Change utilizing modern drone technology. During the inspection within the Kokcha neighborhood assembly area, it was established that a citizen, B.G., was unlawfully excavating sand and gravel mixtures from a pasture plot that did not legally belong to him and lacked any requisite governmental permits. Environmental specialists carried out comprehensive on-site studies and detailed calculations, ultimately determining that the damage inflicted on the local ecosystem reached an astronomical 8.9 billion som.
This incident follows a series of recent environmental infractions across the country, highlighting ongoing systemic challenges in resource management. Earlier, authorities in the Kashkadarya region exposed a private enterprise attempting to extract coal without authorization from the Zarmas deposit, seeking to sell 500 tons of product valued at 350 million som. That particular reckless operation also resulted in the ruthless uprooting of 33 trees and nearly 3,000 bushes during unauthorized road construction, pushing total environmental damages past the 480 million som threshold.
All collected documentation and case files regarding the Bukhara incident have now been formally transferred to the Bukhara Regional Prosecutor's Office for thorough legal evaluation and subsequent enforcement actions. The National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change stated that exhaustive monitoring and raiding operations remain ongoing nationwide to curb environmental abuses.
Source: www.gazeta.uz