One of the most picturesque and ecologically pristine spots in East Kazakhstan, Lake Karakol, located within the Katon-Karagay State National Natural Park, is suffering from irresponsible vacationers. A video posted on social media shows the deplorable state of the shoreline and has sparked widespread public outrage, reports infohub.kz.
The author of the video claims that the trash was left by tourists themselves. According to him, many arrive in SUVs and other vehicles but fail to take their waste with them after their stay. "This is not a place with trash bins or waste removal services. Everything you bring with you must be taken back. Leave nature as clean as you found it," urges the video's author.
The footage shows piles of waste: used baby diapers, food scraps, old shoes, broken chairs, and glass and plastic bottles. The publication also notes that national park staff and local services clean the area whenever possible. They burn some of the waste and haul away the rest. However, due to the large influx of vacationers, they cannot keep up with cleaning the shoreline.
"As you came here, so leave! Don't leave anything behind. Where is your culture? You expect service, but you behave like barbarians. There is no service here to clean up after you," the video's author addresses tourists.
Social media users supported him and strongly condemned the tourists' behavior. "These are not people," "Horrible," "Horrible. Ruining such beauty. Impose fines 1000 times the amount. Our people don't understand otherwise," users write.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that Chinese carrier Urumqi Airlines is discussing with the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan the launch of flights to Zaisan and Katon-Karagay. For now, the discussion involves launching regular flights from Urumqi to Karaganda, from Kulja (Yining) to Astana, and from Kulja (Yining) to Almaty.