Residents Report Pollution in East Kazakhstan’s Chernevaya River Near Gold Mining Site

Residents of the East Kazakhstan region have reported pollution in the Chernevaya River, which flows through state forestry land, Orda.kz reports.

A video posted on social media showed the river’s water discolored and muddy, prompting concern among locals.

The area where the mine is located is part of the state forest fund. We ask the competent authorities to investigate the gold mining organization for any violations of the law,
 eyewitnesses wrote.

The gold mining company has been identified. Further information on the investigation's results will be provided,
the department stated.

Environmental officials noted that the company received its environmental permit for solid mineral exploration only on November 6, while the video had appeared before that date.

Since early 2025, eight unscheduled inspections for illegal subsoil use have been carried out in the region, resulting in 9.7 million tenge in fines.

Last year, 30 incidents of severe surface water pollution were recorded across the East Kazakhstan Region. In rivers such as the Ulba, Glubochanka, Tikhaya, Breksa, Yertis, Oba, and Krasnoyarka, specialists detected high levels of manganese, cadmium, and iron.

In one case, pollution in the Malaya Karaguzhikha River exceeded safe limits by 83,000 times, caused by mine water discharge from the improperly sealed Yubileyno-Snegirikhinsky mine.

Original Author: Elena Medvedeva