Residents of the small village of Baitak in the Aktobe region have been waiting for years for gasification and road repairs, turning to local authorities for help, reports infohub.kz.
Villagers were promised gas three years ago but still rely on firewood, coal, and even dung for heat. Locals say the lack of gas is why people leave. Today, Baitak's population is just 50, down from a thriving village. All neighboring villages already have gas.
"In 2025, we submitted a request to the regional akimat asking them to pay attention to us. All surrounding villages are gasified, but ours keeps getting postponed," said villager Nadezhda Kesler. Many residents are pensioners, and buying fuel is costly. "Sometimes the coal is good, sometimes not, but we have no choice. I need 5 tons of coal and 3 cubic meters of wood for winter. Just the coal costs me 150,000 tenge, so I have to save on everything," complained Magripa Utesheva.
Another problem is the lack of a proper road between Baitak and Kobda. Even in dry weather it's tough; during rains it becomes impassable mud, cutting off the village. "In spring, we are like an island. Our village is cut off for two months. Sometimes there's no electricity, and we can't get to Kobda, even though it's only 10 kilometers. Pensioners have been known to swim across the ravine on a balloon to buy groceries," said Nadezhda Kesler.
The district akimat commented: currently just over 45% of settlements in the district have gas. The gasification project started last year, and by 2029 all villages are planned to be connected. "Of 31 settlements, 16 are not gasified, including large villages and district centers. As funding becomes available, we extend gas to remaining villages. Baitak is on the list," said deputy akim Kanat Mynbaev. On roads, priority is given to routes between major towns. Baitak is on that list, but officials couldn't say when repairs will start.