At the most recent Senate plenary session, the Cabinet of Ministers in Uzbekistan was presented with a parliamentary inquiry centered on cleaning riverbeds and strengthening their banks. The document also addressed the detrimental impact of non-metallic mineral extraction on the environment, water, and road infrastructure.
The Senators expressed concern about the significant depletion of trees in Zarafshan National Natural Park due to a drop in groundwater levels resulting from illegal sand and gravel extraction on the Akdarya and Karadarya rivers.
This extraction has caused the river's water level to drop by five meters, exposing support pillars of bridges on highways built over the riverbeds.
Reportedly, the Cabinet of Ministers has not yet established a clear procedure for accepting a deposit or site from businesses engaged in sand and gravel extraction after their licenses or contracts expire.
Besides, there is no plan to establish a singular governing body responsible for overseeing the management of the nation's rivers. This lack of regulation has resulted in adverse effects on both groundwater and the environment. In addition, there has been no concrete effort made to prohibit large-scale sand and gravel mining on the Chirchik, Zarafshan, Akdarya, Kashkadarya, Sangzar, and Karadarya rivers.
In response, the Senate has adopted a resolution to address these issues. However, proposals have yet to be developed for creating specialized industrial zones in these territories for non-metallic mineral extraction and sand and split stone production for construction purposes.
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