According to Omorova, the residents are in despair and urgently request that their appeals be heard at a high level. They believe that the country's leadership should be informed about the potential ecological risks and threats of water resource pollution, including the Chychkan and Bala-Chychkan rivers, as well as springs and sources in the area.
“Drinking water for the 40,000-strong city of Toktogul comes from the Bala-Chychkan River, which originates in the glaciers where gold extraction is now planned. The loss of these glaciers could lead to ecological disasters and threatens the lives and health of thousands of people, as well as the destruction of wildlife and the unique biodiversity of the region. The Chychkan Gorge and the area of Lake Kyzyl-Kol have been under protective status since 1972, when the Chychkan State Zoological Reserve was established, which is also being ignored,” emphasizes Gulbara Omorova.
She also noted that this reserve is considered a specially protected natural area (SPNA), and its main task is to protect wild animals, including rare species listed in the Red Book, as well as to safeguard the ecosystems and water resources of the Chychkan Gorge.
In this protected area, the following activities are prohibited:
— geological exploration and blasting;
— extraction of minerals, including gold;
— drilling, road construction, and alteration of riverbeds;
— any activities that threaten water resources, glaciers, and ecosystems;
— actions that disrupt the hydrological regime (rivers, lakes, springs).
What are the legal violations?
1. The KR Law “On Specially Protected Natural Areas,” which prohibits subsoil use in reserves.
2. The Water Code of the KR, which protects glaciers, river sources, and mountain lakes as part of the water fund.
3. The KR Law “On Environmental Protection,” which prohibits activities that could cause irreversible ecological damage.
4. The KR Law “On Subsoil,” which does not allow licensing if there is a threat to water resources and ecosystems.
5. The KR Law “On Environmental Expertise.”
“Any such projects become illegal without positive results from state environmental expertise and public hearings,” added Gulbara Omorova.
The glaciologist is confident that the license for gold exploration and extraction should not have been issued without following transparent and legal procedures. “How could a license for exploration be issued in a state zoological reserve with protective status? Where are the results of the environmental expertise and impact assessment? What other assessments needed to be conducted before issuing the permit? Such a decision jeopardizes the ecosystem, wildlife, and unique biodiversity over an area of more than 300 hectares!” concluded Gulbara Omorova.
