The municipal enterprise 'Tazalyk' is responsible for garbage collection in Bishkek, as well as for the sanitary condition of the city, cleaning of ditches, and catching animals upon request.
Director of 'Tazalyk' Zholdosh Chushtukov spoke about the tasks and directions of the enterprise's work in an exclusive interview with 24.kg.
— What is the current fleet of vehicles you have?
— In the winter period, the vehicles are re-equipped. We have combined machinery that cleans the roads and spreads salt on them. In the summer, we use tanks for washing roads and watering green areas.
In the last two years, we have significantly updated our fleet by acquiring 188 new vehicles.
Zholdosh Chushtukov
Currently, we have more than 300 vehicles at our disposal. However, after the administrative reform, even this number is not enough. We have managed to cover 90% of the city. We have over 1 million subscribers, and the number of business entities and employees continues to grow.
— Does 'Tazalyk' have to turn to private companies for garbage collection?
— We independently cover 80-90% of the city, while part of the residential areas has been outsourced to private organizations through a tender. We cannot do without market relations.
Initially, we worked with five private companies, but all of them experience equipment breakdowns. As a result, only one contract remains. We recently held a competition, but there were no participants. We will announce it again.
Zholdosh Chushtukov
— How is the situation with the private company 'Komtaransk'? Have the legal disputes been resolved?
— They are ongoing. There were some nuances, but they are resolvable. The court will sort everything out.
We have no such problems with other partners. We have been working with one company for over three years: we pay on time, and they perform their work without complaints.
— What innovations are being implemented in the irrigation system? Are there mirabs, or has this function been transferred to other services?
— The mayor's office has developed an electronic scheme of the city's ditch systems, where the sizes of ditches and their functionality are marked by colors. We constantly clean all ditch systems. The functions of the mirabs have been transferred to MP 'Bishkekzelenstroy'.
— What is the current salary of janitors? Is there a staff shortage?
— The average salary is 30-40 thousand soms. We plan to increase it by 50%. Last year it didn't happen, but there were bonuses — four times a year.
Staff turnover is constant. In winter, the situation is more stable, but with the arrival of spring, there is an outflow of workers. Many go back to their villages or to work in Russia.
To avoid downtime, we started attracting foreign workers. Today, as part of a pilot project, about 10 migrants from Pakistan are working, and if everything goes well, we plan to increase their number. They work as loaders for the collection of solid household waste.
Our citizens are reluctant to work as janitors. This indicates that welfare is growing, and the economy is developing.
Zholdosh Chushtukov
— What has been done for the safety of janitors during work?
— In 2025, we improved their gear and uniforms, adding powerful reflectors for better visibility at night.
We also provided headlamps and special beacons. Due to light-saving measures, janitors sometimes work in complete darkness early in the morning.
Zholdosh Chushtukov
As for digitalization, in 2025 we implemented an application that is installed on employees' phones. When a janitor starts work, he activates a technical card, and we see his actions. Upon completion of cleaning, he notifies about it in the application, and the supervisor checks the result. If the line shows a red light, it means that the janitor did not show up for work, and we investigate the situation.
— Why are garbage containers being removed in some areas of the city?
— It is customary for us to remove garbage bins in the private sector, transitioning to door-to-door collection. Our employees come once a week. Otherwise, a lot of garbage accumulates in the private sector: grass, branches, and other debris. This leads to the formation of piles near the containers. Multi-story districts are not affected by this.
— About pets. What can you say about this? Pets practically have nowhere to walk...
— In 2025, we discussed the rules for keeping pets and raised this issue. Currently, we are working with the mayor's office on creating special areas for walking dogs in the capital.
— Will these areas be near the owner's residence or in remote locations?
— We have residents who love animals and those who are afraid of them. For now, we do not know whether these will be parks, squares, or just walking areas, but we will work it out soon.
I have a dog, and I have nowhere to walk her except in the yard. There are no conditions for this.
— Do you think the residents of Bishkek have become more cultured?
— We conduct an analysis of mass events. For example, at concerts on Independence Day in Ala-Too Square. Every year, the amount of garbage thrown by people decreases. The attitude towards cleanliness in the city is improving. People no longer throw garbage anywhere, as they did before.
We always call out: “Help us! Don’t litter, and that’s all!”
