Complaints from Almaty residents about an unidentified chemical smell in the city center have been confirmed by laboratory tests: air samples taken near a residential complex under construction showed exceedances of permissible limits for seven substances at once, the website infohub.kz reports.
The problem came to light last week, when residents reported a chemical smell in the area of Mukanov Street, where a new residential complex is being built. According to local residents, the smell seeped into apartments even through closed windows. At the time, the Almaly district akimat said no violations of sanitary standards had been found.
After numerous complaints, specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological control service went to the site. They took air samples at two points — near the construction site and in the apartment of one resident. According to the television channel, exceedances of permissible limits for seven substances were recorded at the site.
"These laboratory test results served as the basis for registering an inspection with the Department for Coordination of Control and Supervision Activities under the Prosecutor General's Office and for subsequently going out to the site. Whether the fact of violations will be registered or not will be determined only during the inspection. If this fact is registered, then under Part 1 of Article 425, administrative measures are provided for," said Yegor Tarkinsky, head of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Department for Almaly district.
If a violation of sanitary and epidemiological standards is proven, the developer or subcontractors face a fine of nearly 700,000 to 7 million tenge. The size of the sanction depends on the category to which the business belongs.