OREANDA-NEWS. January 30, 2014. In Kazakhstan, the forests will be planted on an area of 54 hectares in 2014, the Minister of Environment and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov reported at Board Meeting.

According to him, reforestation works were done on an area of 67.4 hectares in 2013.

"In the "Semey ormany" and "Ertis ormany" reserves, where pine forests grow, annual reforestation area reached more than 5 thousand hectares.

The creation of green zone in Astana is in progress. Last year tree-planting works were carried out on an area of 5 thousand hectares. By 2015, the area of green zone around the capital will be increased up to 75 thousand hectares," the Minister said.

According to the action plan to implement the Concept of transition to a "green" economy, the fisheries development program will be elaborated in 2014.

"The program will cover a set of measures aimed at preservation, reproduction and rational use of the resource potential of fishery ponds, development of commercial fishing. It is very profitable and promising "green" technology," N. Kapparov said.

According to him, private capital investment in measures for the protection and restoration of fish resources has increased up to 10.2 billion tenge over 8 years.

"One of the important tasks of the Ministry is to maintain and increase bio-resources, including sturgeons. The issue on the introduction of the five-sided moratorium on sturgeon species catching is being looked into within the framework of the Commission on Aquatic Bio-resources. Kazakhstan has already introduced such ban," he said.

According to him, Atyrau and Ural-Atyrau sturgeon hatcheries released about 7 million young sturgeon into the natural habitat last year. Work on reproduction of other valuable fish species is in progress.

JSC "Zhasyl Damu” starts work on destruction of hazardous waste this year, the Minister of Environment and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov said at the board meeting.

According to him, the first phase of work will begin in Kostanay, Karaganda and Aktobe regions.

"Much work has been done in the past year and creation of own integrated system of waste collection and disposal is in progress now. System aimed to reduce waste will be made. For this purpose, a program of modernization of solid waste management for 2013-2015 has been elaborated” the Minister said.

“Elaboration of the design estimates of cleaning and reservoirs sanitation project of Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort area - Shuchie, Burabay, Karasu lakes is coming to an end. Their restoration works will begin in 2014,” N. Kapparov said.

According to him, the implementation of environmental project - cleaning of the Nura River in the Karaganda Region has successfully completed.

“A unique project to clean up the experimental plot of the Ilek River from hexavalent chromium is completed," he added in Aktobe Region.

Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of Kazakhstan will continue to work on the conservation and restoration of rare and endangered species of wild ungulates and saiga.
"Today there is a positive trend of increasing the number of saiga that reached 187 thousand heads in 2013, i.e. has increased almost nine times", he informed.

State environmental control revealed more than eight thousand violations of the law of natural resources. 656 materials to suspend economic activity were sent to the courts. "Total state revenue for 2013 from exacted fines and requirements relating to compensation amounted to more than 45 billion tenge," the Minister said.

According to him, the ministry issued 14,000 permits for emissions into the environment last year. As the Head of the department noted, the annual emissions of pollutants did not exceed the allowed amount.

First Deputy Prime Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintaev instructed the ministries of environment and water resources, as well as regional development to toughen control over hydraulic facilities.
Bakhytzhan Sagintaev reminded that the Government is facing the task to develop a plan of the government program implementation for water resources management. It should include specific strategic projects, including the efficient use of water in industry, agriculture and housing.
First Deputy Prime Minister noted that the MEWR and the MRD have to carry out a coordinated work on construction and reconstruction of group water pipeline, taking into account the errors identified in the implementation of sectoral program "Akbulak". According to him, all the projects under this program will be approved by the interdepartmental commission of the Government from now on.

"Before we had the following situation: the group conduits were supervised by one ministry, and distributive water conduits - by the other one. The work does not fit in the end, and the population remains without water. We are now connecting actions in the two ministries and coordination will be approved by the Commission on Regional Policy, and we will connect Akimats to this as well. They have to prove why this project is needed," Bakhytzhan Sagintayev said.

According to him, the first meeting of the commission will be in the near future. “Here, the Ministry of Regional Development and the MEWR needs to tighten control over the design, construction, and operation of hydraulic structures", First Deputy Prime Minister concluded.