Kyrghyzstan Needs Help In Preventing Landslides

Kyrghyzstan's foreign ministry addressed, Tuesday, foreign governments and international governmental and non-governmental foundations and organisations, the United Nations among them, asking for prompt aid in re-cultivating uranium tailings dumps endangered by landslides, and in resettling residents of nearby settlements.

There are increasingly more landslides and mudflows in the areas adjacent to the burial sites of former uranium mining wastes. Lacking funds for repair and maintenance, the republic will not be able to avert an environmental catastrophe of a trans-border scale threatening both Kyrghyzstan and entire Central Asia, say the republican authorities.

Situation is hazardous in a number of districts of Kyrghyzstan's Osh region. Gigantic landslides are threatening local settlements. Several hundred families have to be evacuated immediately.

The republican government is taking measures. However, there are not enough medications, fuel and lubricants, food, building material, money and manpower to tackle such a problem.

1.5 million cubic metres of earth almost completely buried the Kyrghyz village of Kara Taryk, killing 38 persons, including 18 children, in mid April.

Experts warn that the gigantic Tektonik-1 landslide, the mass of which is close on 3 million cubic metres, has become active and is steadily approaching the uranium waste dump near the town of Mailuu Suu.