In Alatau, local residents are trying to restore a road they built with their own money. The street was dug up to lay a water pipeline, but after the work was completed, the surface was never repaired, reports infohub.kz.
According to locals, after rain the streets in the area turn into a real obstacle course. "Children are covered in mud and can't go to school. We buy several pairs of shoes. And even then, we put a bag over them. One bag isn't enough, it tears, so we use two," said Zapiryam Turdakhunova, a resident of Alatau.
Residents say they faced this problem five years ago. Back then, they say, there were no roads or lighting — they managed on their own. People raised money for street repairs and hired workers. But in May of this year, everything was dug up again.
"We always build our roads ourselves. We have an akimat, but no one helps. We chip in money ourselves and do everything ourselves," said Guzel Yusbaeva, a local resident.
The road to school has become a particular problem — children get covered in mud. Even in dry weather, locals say, getting to school is difficult, and when it rains, the road turns into a real mess of mud. Children are refused entry to classes in such a state. And parents in this area are charged extra for transportation.
The akimat explains that the current state of the road is temporary. The street had to be dug up for water pipeline work. They promise to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
"The pipeline along Shieli Street has already been laid. Road repair work is scheduled for today. Shieli Street is small, the repair will take two days," said Borikhan Abdibaev, deputy akim of the city.
Locals are skeptical of officials' promises — they say they have been regularly contacting the akimat for six months. According to them, they are not refused, but the street is not being paved in a hurry.