Uzbekistan Seeks Damages After Landfill Fire Polluted Tashkent Air

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan's National Committee for Ecology has assessed environmental compensation payments totaling 683.87 million soums against the state-owned enterprise Maxsustrans-ISHB following air pollution caused by a fire at a landfill in Akhangaran District.

According to the committee, Eco-Police specialists investigated the deterioration of air quality in Tashkent on 11–12 July and found that a fire had broken out on 10 July at a municipal solid waste landfill located in the Yangihayot settlement along the 32nd kilometre of the Akhangaran highway.

The investigation concluded that the fire resulted from violations of waste disposal and landfill management requirements.

Following the initial inspection, the Tashkent Regional Ecology Department drew up an administrative report against the landfill manager, identified as R.B., and ordered the operator to extinguish the fire.

A follow-up inspection found that the violations had not been eliminated and the fire was still burning. Authorities subsequently initiated a second administrative case under Part 2 of Article 91 of Uzbekistan's Code of Administrative Responsibility, which covers breaches of environmental regulations related to the collection and storage of waste.

Laboratory analysis of air samples recorded significant exceedances of maximum permissible concentrations for several pollutants. Carbon monoxide levels were 10.7 times above the allowable limit, formaldehyde 12.2 times, nitrogen dioxide 12.8 times, sulfur dioxide nine times, and hydrogen sulfide 1.5 times above established standards.

The committee also reported that after 8:00 p.m. on 11 July, easterly and south-easterly winds strengthened over Tashkent, reaching average speeds of 5–8 metres per second with gusts of up to 10 metres per second. During this period, air-monitoring stations recorded elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter.

Based on the findings, the Ecology Committee imposed additional environmental compensation payments of 683.87 million soums on Maxsustrans-ISHB. The agency said legal documents are currently being prepared for submission to court.

According to the committee, construction of the landfill in the Yangihayot neighbourhood of Akhangaran District began in 2021. Although the facility has not yet been officially commissioned because construction remains incomplete, Maxsustrans-ISHB has been transporting household waste from Tashkent to the site since May 2025.