By News Room
– Since January 1, 2023, Kyrgyzstan has become the President of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In this regard, high-level official events related to this event will be held in Bishkek this year. For example, a meeting of the IEC Council. How is the city preparing to welcome distinguished guests?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: Bishkek is the capital of the republic, and we understand the responsibility imposed on us by Kyrgyzstan chairing the CIS in 2023. Action plan approved. On this occasion, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the country Akylbek Zhaparov recently held a meeting in the mayor’s office. I assure you that Bishkek will not disappoint the guests. The city authorities carry out all the necessary preparatory work.
- Several years ago, the office of the mayor of the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic signed a memorandum of cooperation with colleagues from Moscow. Does the interaction of municipalities continue today?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: We would like to reach a new level of cooperation with Moscow. It’s time to move from signing papers to real work on an ongoing basis. However, this does not only apply to the Headquarters. We are ready to cooperate with other cities in Russia. We want to meet, exchange our experiences, discuss common projects and their implementation. The problems are basically the same for everyone. Let me remind you that Bishkek is a member of the International Assembly of Capitals and Major Cities of the CIS, and I am a member of the board of this organization. - What can Bishkek get from Moscow, which today is considered one of the most developed cities not only in Russia, but also in Europe?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: First of all, computer technologies. They help to solve many problems – with traffic jams, the organization of parking lots, chaotic buildings. We already have an agreement on the joint development of a new master plan for Bishkek with specialists from Moscow. The current one expires in 2025. As you know, there are numerous claims on the document by independent experts and citizens. Everything will be taken into account. Especially regarding the availability of the new blueprint. Today everything should be open.
- What landscaping works are carried out in Bishkek with the onset of spring?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: First of all, we put things in order. Let’s start with the fact that special equipment began to arrive in Bishkek, which we bought last year with the support of the city’s kenesh deputies. Only 74 units for 320 million soms. Seven new garbage trucks have already arrived, we are expecting 10 more.
You will probably ask a question about the waste treatment plant in the capital. This topic is of interest to all the inhabitants of the city. The Czech company will build the enterprise. The amount of investment on his part will be 45 million dollars. The preliminary feasibility study of the project is ready, a roadmap is being developed. The initiative was supported by Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Zhaparov.
Our contribution is the preparation and approval of the regulatory framework, in particular the garbage law. The city should have a single operator who will collect, remove and dispose of waste.
- How is the land amnesty going in the capital?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: Of course, it’s not without problems. Many houses, the owners of which demand the legalization of real estate, are built in protected areas – next to the municipal landfill, the railway, gas pipelines, sarcophagi in which hazardous waste is buried. You can’t build there, but people ignored the bans. We have divided the process of legalizing plots under the land amnesty announced by President Sadyr Japarov into three parts. First, there are no complaints from the commissions, a person receives a red book. More than a thousand have already been released. The second – there are doubts, then the documents provided by the applicant are sent for review. Third – the house could not be built on this land. We tell people about it, we warn them. But in general, work on legalization is underway.
- Since April 1, the irrigation season is announced in the city. In recent years, the capital did not have enough water, but what will happen in 2023?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: I don’t think there should be any problems. I told you that the mayor’s office purchased 74 units of special equipment, including drills. We will drill deep wells where it is not possible to irrigate with water from the ditch.
There are 27 wells in Bishkek, but their number needs to be increased. Previously we hired third party contractors for this, now we will drill ourselves. Also, the Bishkekvodkhoz municipal enterprise was restored as a separate structure. Its tasks are to improve the green image of the capital, to repair and clean the irrigation, collection and drainage networks and supply channels, to regulate the supply of water and its rational use for the purposes planned. Therefore, I think everything will be fine with irrigation in Bishkek this year.
- Not so long ago, the mayor’s office came up with a plan to eliminate smog. How is it proposed to solve this problem?
Emilbek Abdykadyrov: There are 23 points in the plan. But I will mention three. The first is the restriction of the use of coal from Kara-Keche by the private sector and the thermal power plant in Bishkek. This coal has a high ash content and a low calorific value. The second is the acquisition of a thousand “ecological” (gas-powered) public transport units. The third is the gasification of subdivisions. All of this must be done first. If this works, next year the density of smog in the capital will decrease by 50-60%. Yes, and a dump. This year we will turn it off and there will be no more smoke in the city.
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The post Kyrgyzstan’s capital to use Russian experience in development – Reuters appeared first on The Eastern Herald.
Source: Kyrgyzstan’s capital to use Russian experience in development – Reuters
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