In the Almaty Region, residents of two villages have been deprived of grazing land and water access after the land was transferred to private ownership, infohub.kz reports.
According to Astana TV, the situation has unfolded in the villages of Uzynagash and Zhanakurlys. For years, locals grazed their livestock on the banks of the Karasu River. However, about 10 years ago, private homes began to appear, and fences started blocking access to the water. Now residents must walk a couple of kilometers to take their herds to pasture.
"We can't even bring the livestock to the water, let alone graze them. For more than 10 years I grazed over 300 head of cattle here. Now we can't bring even 40-50 cows to the water. We've been struggling with this problem for about 10 years," said Zhomart Apetaev, a resident of Zhanakurlys.
Under the Water Code, the minimum width of a water protection strip is 35 meters. However, fences now stand right up against the river. Residents say they appeal to the akimat every year about the issue, but no measures have been taken so far.
"When land plots were provided on a competitive basis, when preparatory work was carried out, the norms of the water protection zone were taken into account, and livestock driveways were considered. But the fact that people have now fenced off the area raises a contentious issue. This is the responsibility of the landowner. That is, he fenced it off without taking the norms into account," said Aliya Abuova, chief specialist of the apparatus of the Uzynagash rural district akimat.
The akimat said work is now underway to remove the illegal fences. If no agreement can be reached with the owners, the authorities will go to court to free up the water protection zone.