Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, spoke about major factors influencing the quality of air in Tashkent at the meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis. He highlighted massive construction without the approval of the urban development master plan as the main cause of air pollution in the capital. 

Abdukhakimov listed the factors that made Tashkent one of the cities in the red category in the World Air Quality Index.

“Construction in Tashkent is taking place without the approval and alignment with the city’s urban development master plans. Construction work is not allowed in green areas, since we do not have a Master Plan for the capital, we struggle to identify those zones. Take an example, 5400 construction objects were built in the last 5 years, “said the Minster. 

Abdukhakimov also said that the government plans to declare a moratorium on the construction of new cement plants. Cement plants are responsible for releasing the most toxic substances into the air. Meanwhile, 23 of the 47 operating plants have ceased operations, and 90 percent of the remaining plants violate environmental requirements.