“Governments cannot command nature,” says Alisher Qodirov on rising “negative particles” in the air

north_east

Main cause of toxic air in Tashkent identified

Amid criticism of the government over deteriorating air quality in Tashkent, Alisher Qodirov, a deputy of the Oliy Majlis and chairman of the “Milliy Tiklanish” party, defended the authorities.

“No government in the world has ever been able to command nature, nor can it. The Uzbek people have always lived—and continue to live—with reverence for God, guided by a conscientious and patriotic way of life. Our strength lies in thought, order, and unity.

Remember, our discomfort is exactly what some may be hoping for,” the deputy wrote on his social media page.

Earlier, on November 21, Sherzod Habibullaev, director of Uzhydromet, stated that Tashkent’s prolonged air pollution is caused by lack of precipitation, intense dust, sudden temperature fluctuations, and atmospheric inversion. Qodirov described this statement as “a response three days late for ‘experts’ linking harmful particles in the air to the government.” He emphasized that officials should prevent misleading estimates from spreading among the public.

On November 23, Uzhydromet announced that while inversion conditions were initially expected to ease after November 24, updated forecasts indicated that the phenomenon would persist until the end of next week. Qodirov's comments on the announcement suggested a reminder not to blame the government.

“Criticize the government all you want, but no one can make wind, rain, or air masses obey to satisfy people. On the contrary, the amount of harmful particles and negative particles in the air would increase… I just wanted to say that,” he stated.

Qodirov also highlighted that environmental experts’ studies show that construction, transport, and industry contribute only 8–10 percent to Tashkent’s air pollution. He noted that all current measures and decisions affect only this small fraction.

Recently, Tashkent has ranked among the world’s cities with the worst air quality. On November 11, pollution levels in Tashkent and Andijan exceeded the safe limit. By November 16, fine particulate matter in Tashkent had risen several times above normal levels. On November 20, the Uzbek capital ranked second globally in air pollution among major cities. Experts attribute this rise to inversion caused by sharp temperature changes, which traps harmful particles close to the ground. To improve air quality, Tashkent’s Yakkasaray district heating plant has ceased using fuel oil.

For several days, PM2.5 particles—considered highly dangerous to health—have remained in the air over Tashkent and surrounding areas. As a result, authorities have begun monitoring and conducting inspections of local greenhouses, industrial facilities, and construction sites.