The press service of the Tashkent city administration has announced plans to improve the banks of five canals — Bozsuv, Salor, Damashi, Jun and Borijar. The work will cover 66.5 kilometers of canal sections running through 11 of the capital's 12 districts, excluding Bektemir district, and aims to turn the banks into convenient, modern zones for walking and recreation.
Key Takeaways: A 66.5-kilometer stretch of five canal banks will be improved; officials identified 326 cases of unauthorized land occupation covering 11.4 hectares in protection zones, with 275 plots, or 84 percent, cleared of illegal structures; the concept for the Bozsuv canal bank in Yunusobod district was presented to residents at a public hearing by district hokim Abrorxoja Saidaliyev.
Officials recorded 326 cases of unauthorized occupation in canal protection zones, opening 275 plots and removing illegal structures. These measures are seen as preparation for further improvement and restoring the banks to public use: some plots had been fenced off by local residents with high walls and gates, while about 60 illegal structures were recorded, most of which have already been dismantled.
The concept for the Bozsuv canal bank in Yunusobod district provides for a pedestrian promenade and a separate bicycle lane, recreation areas, small piers for visitors and fishermen, and viewing platforms. Based on risk assessments, barriers, information signs, rescue equipment, barrier-free paths for people with limited mobility and access roads for emergency services are planned; all walking and recreation zones will be covered by lighting and video surveillance, with benches and waste bins installed.
Convenient and safe access to the bank is to be created through alleys with trees and shrubs, benches and lighting, while shaded canopy areas will appear in some places. Saidaliyev also proposed floating docks and a rowing center with convenient descent points, storage rooms and areas for kayaks and other equipment, training and rest zones, training navigation and rescue equipment placement. In addition, open summer terraces for cafes and restaurants with panoramic glazing, shaded terraces and landscaping are proposed on empty plots along the canal. The hokim also focused on cleaning the canal banks and channel and preserving greenery: a dendrological survey will be conducted before work begins, healthy mature trees will be preserved and walkways laid around their trunks, while trees in poor condition or located in zones of objects that cannot be relocated will be cut down, invasive plants removed and large trees planted as compensation.
“Look at these areas. After all, the person who seized them uses them, while the public cannot, right? For example, if you want to go to the water and take a walk, you cannot pass freely here,” said district hokim Abrorxoja Saidaliyev. Although the project concept has been announced, the next stages are expected to take into account public opinion, dendrological survey results and the process of clearing illegal structures; these factors will determine the final appearance and timeline of the improvement work, while efforts to create convenient, safe and publicly accessible spaces along Tashkent's canals will continue.
Source: www.gazeta.uz