Kazakh Deputies Demand Answers Over Lake Inder’s Loss Of Protected Status
Photo: Ak Zhaiyk
Deputies from the Ak Zhol faction have demanded an explanation for why salt lake Inder in Atyrau Region was removed from the list of state nature reserve sites of national importance, Orda.kz reports.
The government made the decision on November 22, 2024. However, Ak Zhol deputy Serik Yerubaev said in a parliamentary request that local residents were not shown any scientific, environmental, or legal justification for changing the lake’s status.
Under Articles 58 and 73 of the Environmental Code, decisions that affect the environment must be made openly and with public participation. However, according to an official letter from the Inderbor village akimat dated March 27, 2026, no public hearings involving local residents were held on the issue of changing Lake Inder’s status,the deputy said.
The deputies also questioned subsoil use licenses issued to AralTuz and AralSoda in 2021–2022, when the lake still had the status of a specially protected natural site.
The faction noted that the law prohibits activities that do not correspond to the purpose of a specially protected natural area. At the same time, a local entrepreneur was denied permission in 2021 to build a health and tourism facility precisely because of the lake’s protected status.
The ban on activity in one case and the issuance of mineral exploration licenses in another raise reasonable questions about the uniform application of the law,the request says.
Ak Zhol is asking the government to publish the justification for removing the lake from the reserve fund, check the legality of the licenses, and take action if violations are found. The deputies also propose considering whether Lake Inder should be returned to its former protected status.
Original author: Ilya Astakhov
Read also:
- Lake Inder: Unlocking Regional Development While Preserving Natural Heritage
- Public Hearings on Lake Inder Salt Project Split Residents
- Almaty Region to Reclaim Lake Issyk Dam From Investor
Latest news
- After Astana Flooding, Billions to Be Spent on Drainage Systems
- Kazakh IT Firm Alleges Former Employees Stole Intellectual Property Worth Two Billion Tenge
- Zhambyl Region Begins Building 80 Billion Tenge Waste Processing Plant
- How Many More? Kazakhstan-Trained Medical Graduate Arrested in India With Fake Licensing Certificate
- Turkestan Region Deputy Suspected of Raping Chinese Investor
- Illegal Gold Mine With Chinese Workers Uncovered in East Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstanis Demand Higher Speed Limit for Rental E-Scooters
- Kazakhstan Doubles Financing for Utility Infrastructure
- Kazakhstan’s Butadiene Project Turns to Yuan-Denominated Debt
- Red Book Bird Found Covered in Oil in Mangystau
- Kazakhstan Resumes Oil Exports Through CPC
- Authorities Investigate Dark Liquid Near Sairan Reservoir
- Who to Trust? Kazakhstan Names Official Sources for Government Data
- Health Ministry to Check Maternity Hospitals for Infection Risks
- How Much Do Kazakhstan’s Cities Spend on Their Largest National Flags?
- Kept It From the State: Kostanay Man Made Billions in Crypto and Went to Prison
- Which Kazakh Cities Could Face Heating Problems This Winter?
- Lightning Causes Fire in Burabay National Park
- Mangystau’s Rock Mosques Added to UNESCO World Heritage List
- Lightning Causes Two Fires in Burabay
