Page 842 – The Times Of Central Asia

28 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Environmental Violations at Kashagan Oil Field Cost NCOC a Billion Dollars

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) has been issued a billion-dollar fine, after it was found to have violated environmental laws at its Kashagan field.

Last spring the Department of Ecology for the Atyrau region, where the field is located, conducted an investigation at Kashagan that uncovered a number of violations of environmental legislation. These include the storage of 1.75m tons of sulfur at the field, twice as much as the permitted 730,000 tons.

NCOC was also found to have failed to implement environmental protection measures, discharged waste water without the necessary permit, and other infringements.

The operator denied all charges, and filed an appeal at a court in Astana to challenge the results of the inspection. After lengthy proceedings the court found that the results of the inspection by the Department of Ecology were legitimate. The judicial panel concluded that restrictions on the volume of sulfur storage annually cannot be considered cumulatively.

NCOC can now either appeal this decision in an international arbitration court, or admit its guilt and pay the state the billion-dollar fine.

28 Feb 2024

Features

Uzbek Migrants Demand Justice

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

According to an Uzbekistan blogger, a lawsuit has been filed by 35 citizens of Uzbekistan against U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration, represented by the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Patrick Lakeheitner, and other officials. The Uzbeks were detained after illegally crossing the United States-Mexico border.

Utkur Rakhmatullaev, an Uzbek blogger who has lived in America for more than 20 years, relayed the details of the case to the Times of Central Asia (TCA).

He explained that the group, whose interests are being represented by lawyer Abadir Barre, a migrants’ rights advocate, demand that their detention in immigration centers be recognized as illegal and that all legal costs be covered. They insist that the authorities were prejudiced against them because of their nationality and religion.

Rakhmatullaev, said that the detained men had been released on bail of $7,000 each.

27 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan Business & Economy

Turkmenistan to Proceed with Energy and Transport Projects in Afghanistan

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On 26th February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov and an Afghan delegation led by acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi met in Ashgabat to discuss large-scale energy and transport projects.

The negotiations focused on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) high-voltage power transmission line, and the construction of railways from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan. The Turkmen Foreign Ministry cited ‘a high degree of readiness’ on both sides to continue the construction of these facilities in Afghanistan.

TAPI is a major project to transfer Turkmenistan’s natural gas to Pakistan and India through Afghanistan. The construction of the pipeline in Afghanistan, long delayed by financial and security issues, will stretch for 1,840 km and transport more than 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from Turkmenistan’s giant Galkynysh gas field. Once completed, the TAPI pipeline will provide Turkmenistan with an additional gas export route, while Afghanistan will receive both its own volume of gas and some $400 million a year in revenue from transit charges.

The two foreign ministers also agreed to explore the potential of training specialists in various sectors of the Afghan economy within Turkmen higher and secondary vocational educational institutions.

According to Afghan statistics, trade between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan reached $481 million in 2023.

27 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Local Politics, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Development Plan for Astana Agglomeration Approved

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The plan for the agglomeration of Astana through to 2028 was approved by the government of Kazakhstan on February 27th.

The country’s capital since 1997, Astana has since grown and developed into one of the most modern cities in Central Asia. In addition to the city, the agglomeration will include more than 40 nearby towns and villages. Over the past 10 years, the population of Astana has increased by 46%. Records show that in January 2024, it exceeded 1.43 million and by 2035, is expected to grow to 2.3 million people.

The key aims of the Astana agglomeration are the improvement of urban development, the modernization of social, engineering and transport infrastructures, environmental sustainability and safety, and safeguarding against emergencies.

A unified urban planning policy will enable the synchronization of plans for the development of the capital and adjacent Akmola region, including the creation of eco-towns on an area of over 940 hectares.

The new transport and logistics infrastructure will comprise six logistics complexes, a service centre for the maintenance of electric locomotives, and subsidies for suburban routes.

Over 400 km of existing roads will be repaired, and 300 km of new roads and four bridges built in agglomerated towns and villages.

To attract investment and supply food, 25 facilities to produce food and 12 for industrial goods will be built in an industrial zone covering 300 hectares.

At the meeting, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov highlighted the fact that the main problem to be addressed by the agglomeration is the sharp population increase in the suburbs and the daily migration to the capital and back, which significantly impacts the entire infrastructure of Astana, its ecology and safety.

In recognition of ongoing problems faced by many suburban villages, such as water supply, waste disposal, a stable electricity supply, and the condition of roads, the prime minister stated: “I believe that the implementation of the plan should solve these pressing issues. Moreover, we need to create permanent jobs in the suburbs. Astana as the core of the agglomeration creates prerequisites for sustainable development of the adjacent territories. This will help smooth out the existing imbalance between the living standards in the capital and neighboring settlements.”

27 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan to Increase Use of Groundwater for Irrigation

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On 27th February, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation announced plans to increase the volume of groundwater used for agricultural irrigation by tapping into local reserves.

The country and especially its dry southern and eastern regions, has long been dependent on water from its upstream neighbors, Kyrgyzstan and China.
Kazakhstan’s groundwater reserves exceed 43,000 tons per day, 19,000 tons of which could effectively be used in irrigation.

Agriculture currently uses more than 40 thousand tons, equivalent to 60%, of water collected per day. Of this, groundwater makes up just 1.2%. Under the first stage, this is due to increase to 10-15%, initially from reserves in Almaty, Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan, and Zhambyl.

In 2023, of the 1.8 million hectares of irrigated land in Kazakhstan, water-saving technologies were employed on as little as 17% (312,000 hectares), with drip irrigation used on only 84,000 hectares.

As an added incentive to implement the expansion of areas of irrigated land through a greater use of groundwater and water-saving technologies, the state will introduce subsidies and reduced tariffs for users.

27 Feb 2024

Central Asia, Turkmenistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan Hosts Business Delegation from Afghanistan

June 27, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On February 25th a group of businessmen from Afghanistan arrived in Turkmenistan to discuss investment opportunities in Afghanistan, and to shore up the two countries’ commercial and diplomatic connections.

Led by the acting Afghan foreign minister Amirkhan Muttaki. the group included members of the Afghanistan Railways Authority, the acting minister of mines and petroleum, and representatives of the national energy company.

This visit was not publicized by Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry did however report on a February 23rd meeting between the deputy minister of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan, Ahmad Gurbanov, and the special representative of the Chinese foreign ministry for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyun, in Ashgabat.