There is a law, there is no protection: how the Chirchik River dies in Tashkent
The Chirchik River, once a full-flowing and powerful waterway that permeates the southern part of Tashkent, today represents only a shadow of its former greatness. Despite the fact that its protection is formally guaranteed by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 471 of October 29, 2003, reality demonstrates complete disregard for legislative norms. This document was supposed to be a shield for the river, but in fact it turned out to be only a paper declaration that is not valid, notes environmental journalist Natalia Shulepina in her author’s blog SREDA.UZ:
The 2003 decree clearly defined the creation of a water protection zone and a coastal strip with a total area of 9160.6 hectares in the Tashkent region and 1440.6 hectares in the capital. These lands were to be assigned the status of protected natural areas. However, after more than two decades, this key point has not been fulfilled. The lands have not received a special environmental status, remaining vulnerable to uncontrolled economic activity.
Responsibility for the implementation of the measures was assigned to a number of government agencies – the khokimiyats of the Tashkent region and Tashkent, as well as relevant ministries, including departments for ecology, land resources, health and agriculture. They were instructed to develop and implement measures to remove environmentally hazardous objects from protective zones and implement a program for the ecological rehabilitation of the river basin by 2007. Moreover, the possibility of creating forest plantations to strengthen the shores and improve the ecosystem was considered. None of these prescriptions have been fulfilled.
Instead of green spaces and sanitary zones, the shores of Chirchik are being actively built up today. Multi-storey residential complexes and commercial facilities are being built dangerously close to the riverbed, sometimes almost close to the water. The idea of creating forest plantations is forgotten, and the requirements for compliance with water protection zones are completely ignored, turning the coastal strip into a construction site.
In parallel, business is flourishing, causing direct damage to the river ecosystem. Cage fish farms are actively operating in the Chirchik riverbed. Although they are a source of income, their activities lead to a serious deterioration in water quality. Fish waste and food residues settle on the bottom, causing pollution of bottom sediments to the level of “dirty”, which has a detrimental effect on all inhabitants of the river and water quality in general.
The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which was instructed by the decree to carry out strict control over compliance with environmental legislation, failed to cope with its task. The control turned out to be formal or absent at all, which led to the current deplorable situation. The problem is compounded by the fact that this is not the only legislative act that does not work.
The law “On Water and Water Use” in force in Uzbekistan since 1993 also provides for the creation of water protection and sanitary zones for all water bodies of the country. He prescribes three sanitary protection belts: a strict regime zone, as well as two zones with restrictions on economic activity. These norms, as well as state monitoring, exist mainly on paper. Even the new Water Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which comes into force on October 31, 2025, which again defines protective zones and responsible departments, causes skepticism. The list of authorized bodies includes the Ministries of Water Resources, Geology, Ecology, as well as the Hydrometeorological service and the Committee of Sanitary and Sanitary Welfare.
The circle of responsible persons and departments is known and clearly outlined in the legislation of Uzbekistan. However, many years of experience shows that the existence of laws and the appointment of those responsible does not guarantee their implementation. Without real control, political will and inevitability of punishment for violations, the Chirchik River – this long–suffering symbol of the capital – will continue to pay a high price for human inaction and bureaucratic paralysis.
Original (in Russian): Закон есть, защиты нет: как погибает река Чирчик в Ташкенте
