Uzbekistan’s Prosecutor General Opens Case Against “Toshkent Suv Ta’minoti” for Pollution of Bozsu Canal

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan has launched a criminal case against the enterprise “Toshkent Suv Ta’minoti” over the pollution of the Bozsu Canal in Tashkent region, the press secretary of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, Lola Rakhmanbayeva, reported.

The case has been opened under Articles 205 (“Abuse of Power or Official Authority”) and 207 (“Official Negligence”) of the Criminal Code. The investigation is being conducted by the Tashkent Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the investigation, “Toshkent Suv Ta’minoti” entered into agreements with industrial enterprises discharging chemical waste, conducted laboratory measurements, and officially accepted polluting substances into the sewer network, which is prohibited under current regulations. More than 70 business entities have been questioned as part of the investigation, and their actions will also be legally assessed.

Laboratory analysis of the wastewater from the first discharge at the Bozsuy Aeration Station revealed significant exceedances of permissible pollutant levels: suspended solids — 23.7 times, ammonium ions — 101.9 times, nitrite nitrogen — 3.5 times, sulfates — 2.3 times, phosphates — 1.3 times, petroleum products — 2.52 times, copper — 4.16 times, iron — 12.4 times. In the third discharge of the facility, exceedances were also recorded: suspended solids — 22.1 times, ammonium ions — 19.9 times, nitrite nitrogen — 8.5 times, sulfates — 2.8 times, phosphates — 1.3 times, BOD — 17 times, petroleum products — 1.78 times, copper — 3.3 times, iron — 3.6 times.

During the preliminary investigation, an additional compensatory payment of 1.5 billion soums was calculated for environmental damage and wastewater discharge.

Earlier, videos showing colored wastewater being discharged into the Bozsu Canal circulated on social media.

“Toshkent Shahar Suv Ta’minoti” explained that the source of pollution was textile enterprises discharging chemical waste without preliminary treatment. “The colored wastewater visible in the footage comes specifically from textile factories. The treatment facilities are not capable of separating dyes and chemical impurities,” the company noted.

The enterprise reminded manufacturers that discharging such wastewater into the sewer system or the environment is unacceptable. “Such actions violate not only production, societal, and environmental standards but also fundamental principles of humanity,” emphasized “Toshkent Shahar Suv Ta’minoti.”