In Almaty, young healthy trees were cut down near the Saryarka metro station, sparking public outrage. The incident comes amid worsening environmental conditions in the metropolis, where smog persists for more than half the year and air pollution increased by 30% in 2025, according to infohub.kz.
Photos of fresh stumps from two trees at the metro entrance appeared on social media. The images show the trees were neither withered nor damaged, raising questions about the legality of the cutting. Almaty residents reacted sharply in comments, demanding explanations from the authorities.
One user shared a personal experience: "This whole tree situation requires personal involvement from everyone! Once in our yard, they came to cut trees under the guise of building a children's playground. I went out and loudly demanded to know on what grounds they were cutting the trees. I demanded they show me a permit. I called a lawyer. The lawyer advised calling the police. The workers called their contractor, and I called the police. No one ever showed a permit. People from the akimat arrived. The tree cutting was halted."
The Almaty Department of Ecology admitted that the trees were cut illegally. The environmental police are now investigating. The department assured: "The matter has been taken under control, measures are being taken to identify those involved in the illegal felling of trees and bring them to justice in accordance with current legislation."
Earlier, it was reported that in the new park on Sayran Lake, renovated in 2025, trees and shrubs have already dried up due to lack of watering.