Almaty halts work at residential complex construction site over chemical smell

Part of the construction work at a residential complex site in Almaty has been suspended after residents suspected it of emitting a chemical smell, the website infohub.kz reports.

A new complaint about an unidentified odor in the area where the residential complex is being built appeared on the social network Threads, posted by a user under the handle zhaniya_kb.

"We woke up at 4 a.m. to a disgusting smell, either burning or chemicals. By morning we had woken up with heavy heads and dizziness. In the neighborhood it has already been found that the construction site on Mukanova Street exceeds the limits for emissions of harmful substances. Is anything being done about this? Or will we soon be completely poisoned? Are they doing this on purpose at night?" the Almaty resident asked.

The Almaly district akimat responded to the post.

"We report that after the first complaints from residents, back on October 16, following explanatory work by the akimat, the developer suspended those active types of work that could presumably have become the source of the smell. In response to citizens' appeals, specialists from the Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Department (SEC) made a series of visits to the adjacent territory to take samples of atmospheric air," the akimat said.

It noted that, based on the materials obtained, the SEC has initiated the relevant procedural actions within its existing powers. The district administration continues to monitor the situation and remains in constant contact with the competent services.

It was previously reported that Almaty residents had complained about a chemical smell in the area of Mukanova Street, where a new residential complex is being built. According to locals, the smell seeped into apartments even through closed windows. It later emerged that sanitary and epidemiological control specialists had taken air samples in two locations: near the construction site and in one resident's apartment. As a result, exceedances of permissible limits were recorded near the site for seven substances at once.