In August, large-scale environmental studies were conducted in Shymkent, which revealed an alarming picture of the state of the city's water bodies and the territory as a whole. Single measurements of water in the Koshkarata, Karasu, Badam, Sairamsu rivers, as well as in the Kos-diirmen, Togys, Tekesu and BMK canals showed a significant excess of permissible standards for pollutants.

The Koshkarata River is of particular concern to experts. This body of water is not only an important element of the city's ecosystem, but also a popular recreation area for city residents. About six thousand people swim here on weekdays, and almost twice as many on weekends. However, as the number of vacationers grows, so does the amount of garbage. During one environmental campaign alone, about 25 thousand tons of waste were collected and removed.

According to the acting head of the city's ecology department, Sabyr Balybek, the key reason for the pollution of the Koshkarata is the lack of connection of many residential buildings located along the riverbed to the centralized sewerage system. The river's passage through densely populated areas and the discharge of wastewater from irrigation systems also have a negative impact.

The situation with the canals and other rivers of the city is also far from favorable. Samples taken at the end sections showed an excess of pollutants, which indicates systemic problems with water drainage and wastewater treatment.

In addition, in July, with the support of the National Company "Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary" and the Department of Ecology, a space survey of the city's territory was conducted. From July 8 to 14, specialists identified 46 unauthorized dumps. The largest number of them was recorded in the Karatau district - 26 points. In the Turan and Yenbekshinsky districts, six dumps were found, in Abay - five, and in Al-Farabiysky - three.

For each identified fact, the department sent official notifications to the akimats of the relevant districts. Some of the dumps have already been eliminated, but work on the rest continues. During joint inspections with the city and district prosecutor's offices, 35 more illegal waste storage sites were identified. According to the conclusion of the ecology department, the prosecutor's office initiated administrative cases against responsible persons of the akimats of the Abay, Karatau and Yenbekshinsky districts under Article 324 of the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Administrative Offenses.

Comparing the situation with previous years, it can be noted that the problem of unauthorized dumps and water pollution is chronic. In previous years, environmental campaigns were also held in Shymkent, during which dozens of spontaneous dumps were eliminated. However, without comprehensive systemic measures, the effect of such events is temporary. New dumps appear again, and river pollution continues.

Previously, the city government implemented projects to improve the irrigation system, including cleaning canals and installing additional filtering facilities. These measures helped to reduce water pollution, especially in areas adjacent to agricultural land. However, in recent years, the load on the irrigation network has increased, and control over wastewater discharges has remained insufficient.

A separate problem is household waste and garbage that gets into rivers and canals directly from private homes and businesses. While previous initiatives focused on garbage collection, now experts emphasize the need to build centralized sewerage systems and modernize existing treatment facilities.

Experts also point out that environmental education of the population can play an important role in preserving the cleanliness of rivers. In cities where residents are aware of the value of water resources, the number of violations and the volume of garbage in coastal areas are significantly lower.

Thus, the environmental situation in Shymkent requires urgent and comprehensive measures. Not only is it necessary to clean up landfills and clean up water bodies, but also long-term solutions - building sewer networks, upgrading the irrigation system and strengthening control over wastewater discharge.

The history of past years shows that with targeted work, tangible results can be achieved. For example, in 2018–2019, thanks to the joint efforts of environmentalists and public utilities, the pollution level of some canals decreased, and some landfills were completely eliminated. However, it was not possible to achieve sustainable results due to insufficient control and lack of permanent funding.

Today, the city faces the task of not only returning the Koshkarata River and other water bodies to ecological health, but also preserving their purity in the future. This requires coordination of efforts by environmental services, akimats, law enforcement agencies and the city residents themselves. Only a comprehensive approach can change the situation and prevent a recurrence of current problems in the coming years.