A tragedy occurred in the Issyk-Ata district: 90 tons of fish died in the pond of the fish farm "New Lake" due to water pollution. The owner of the pond, Viktor Kim, appealed to 24.kg asking for a fair investigation, noting the delays in the process and the refusal to recognize him as a victim.
The events unfolded as follows: on the night of August 12, there was a mass die-off of fish in the pond. After an internal investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, a high concentration of ammonia was found in the water, which disrupted the oxygen balance and led to hypoxia, causing the fish to die.
The agency noted that the results of laboratory tests confirmed that the cause of death was not epidemics, but chemical and biological pollution. The main theory is the discharge of wastewater from settlements or industrial enterprises, which could have led to such a crisis.
The material losses incurred by Viktor Kim amounted to 24.5 million soms. He initiated an appeal to the prosecutor's office of the Chui region, where an investigation was conducted. As a result, instances of pollution were recorded, acts were drawn up, and a criminal case was initiated, with the materials transferred to the regional police department.
Nevertheless, Kim stated that he was not recognized as a victim, and for more than 20 days he had no opportunity to meet directly with the investigator.
“We tried to contact the investigator, but we are not allowed into the police department. They say to wait until the on-duty investigator is free, but he is always busy. We spent two days waiting for two to three hours, but we still could not see him,” said the pond owner.
Viktor Kim calls on law enforcement agencies of the Chui region to intervene in the situation, ensure compliance with the law, and expedite investigative actions to protect the environmental rights of citizens.
Employees of the regional police department confirmed that a criminal case has been initiated under the article "Water Pollution" of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the investigative service began work on it on November 7.
The police department emphasized that a comprehensive set of measures is currently being carried out for a thorough and objective investigation of the circumstances of the incident. The inspection is being conducted in cooperation with agencies responsible for environmental safety and veterinary and sanitary control.
“The investigative service guarantees that the investigation will be conducted within the time limits established by law, with adherence to objectivity and inevitability of punishment. The progress of the pre-trial proceedings will be under constant control, and a decision will be made based on the results of the investigation in accordance with the law,” the agency added.
