In the Koktem microdistrict of the Kazakh city of Arys, there are more than 300 houses. Many of them were built recently, but according to local residents, it is now almost impossible to find a house without cracks. People link the damage to constant vibration from explosions that occur on the territory of a military unit located near the residential area, reports infohub.kz.
"One day it will all collapse. If this continues, it will be not today, but next year. Look, the ceiling has already come off, the drywall is all cracked. There's a crack here, a crack there. Even the wall has shifted. The bedroom is also full of cracks," says local resident Talgat Pashekeyev.
The man built his house only three years ago. His eight children live in the house. According to Pashekeyev, explosions occur daily from March to November.
"From March to November, there are explosions. From Monday to Friday, every day. This house doesn't crack for no reason. Our demand is that they at least reduce the number of explosions. People won't leave here anyway. We're not complaining about anyone. But if the house is damaged because of these explosions, they should at least compensate us for the costs," he said.
According to residents, ammunition is destroyed in two places. One is on the territory of the military unit near the residential area, the other is at a training ground about 60 kilometers from Arys. Local residents believe that explosions should be carried out at the training ground.
"They explode every day on the territory of the military unit. This has been going on for seven years. What are these endless shells? Every year we do repairs ourselves. Houses crack. And not just mine. We feel these explosions every day. The ground constantly shakes," claims Kairat Smailov.
The military do not deny that ammunition is indeed destroyed daily. At the same time, they explain that not all ammunition can be transported.
"Safety is the top priority. It all depends on the number of ammunition found, which can be 20-30 units per day. Their composition is also taken into account. On average, about 30 explosive items are destroyed by detonation. Some are on our territory, some at the training ground. Ammunition that cannot be transported is destroyed here in compliance with all safety requirements," said Bagdat Mynbayev, deputy head of the Arys garrison.
The military also refer to the conclusion of specialists made three years ago. At that time, experts concluded that the destruction of ammunition on the territory of the military unit does not pose a threat to nearby houses.
Residents disagree. They claim that damage to houses appears every year and demand a new assessment of the consequences of the explosions.
In addition, local residents want the possible damage to their homes to be assessed and the repair costs compensated.