On August 9, 2025, another city-wide cleanup was held in Shymkent as part of the "Clean Kazakhstan" republican environmental campaign. This event has been organized every week since March and will continue until the end of the year. According to the city administration, this year's plan involves full coverage of all four districts.

More than 3,765 city residents actively participated in this Saturday. 243 special equipment was deployed to clean yards, streets, parks and waterways. As a result of the day, more than 174 tons of household and construction waste were removed. This is one of the highest figures in recent months in terms of the volume of garbage cleaned in one day.

Cleaning work was carried out in a number of areas. First of all, the channels of the Koshkarata and Badam rivers were cleaned, and waste was collected from the banks. This directly affects the preservation of the ecosystem of water bodies and the improvement of water quality. In addition, household garbage and scattered waste collected on the streets of the city were cleaned, and dead bushes in green areas were cut. In some areas, grass was mowed, and soil and garbage were removed from irrigation ditches and pedestrian paths.

The event was attended by employees of district akimats, representatives of city administrations and departments, active youth, volunteer organizations, and just plain indifferent city residents. According to the organizers, such enthusiasm and joint work of residents plays a big role in maintaining the cleanliness of the city.

Within the framework of the Shymkent City Improvement and Ecology Improvement Plan for 2025–2029, such Saturdays will continue not only as a seasonal event, but also on a regular basis. The document sets goals such as improving the city's infrastructure, increasing the area of greenery, restoring the irrigation network, and introducing a separate household waste collection system.

A distinctive feature of this year's Saturday clean-ups is the increased involvement of special equipment and the fact that the work is not limited to central streets, but also covers remote microdistricts. In previous years, such a large-scale coverage was rare. For example, in 2023, during the "Clean City" city campaign, cleaning was carried out mainly in central parks and along main highways, and the volume of garbage collection in peripheral areas was significantly smaller. Therefore, this year's approach allows for a balanced cleaning of the city.

As the experience of previous years has shown, the regular organization of clean-ups has a positive impact on the culture of the city. In 2024, as a result of weekly cleaning activities within the framework of the Ecological Month, the amount of garbage in green areas decreased by 20% at the end of spring. However, after the end of the season, when regular cleaning activities stopped, illegal dumping increased again. This indicates that continuous action and regular participation of residents are needed to maintain environmental order.

This year's cleanup on August 9 was distinguished by the large number of participants and the high level of technical coverage. Judging by the comments of city residents on social networks, many citizens who participated in the cleanup appreciated this day not only as a laborious task, but also as an opportunity to get to know each other, exchange ideas, and unite for a common goal.

The city administration noted that such Saturdays are not only an ecological, but also a socially significant event. Because joint work increases cooperation between people, forms a sense of responsibility for their environment, and teaches young people the importance of environmental culture.

Another advantage of the 2025 Sabbaths compared to previous years is the introduction of the practice of separate waste collection. Volunteers and municipal workers put plastic, glass and paper waste in separate bags and sent them to recycling centers. This practice was tested in a pilot mode in 2022 only in a few school districts, and this year it was expanded to the entire city.

According to the organizers, through weekly cleanups until the end of the year, more than 5,000 tons of garbage will be removed from Shymkent and hundreds of hectares of land will be improved. In addition, work will be carried out to plant trees, create flower beds, and improve the capacity of water channels.

In conclusion, the August 9th Cleanup Day is an important step that proves that the residents of Shymkent are ready to work together to improve the city's ecology. As experience in previous years has shown, such events will be effective only if they form a permanent habit rather than a temporary cleanup. And this year's systematic approach and the active participation of participants will allow us to achieve significant success in this direction.