Toxic smoke covers Navoi

On the morning of July 19, the city of Navoi in the Navoi region was enveloped in a cloud of dusty, toxic smoke. This was reported by the regional Department of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.

According to the department, research was conducted in the affected areas of the city. From 7:00 to 9:00 AM, specialists from the regional Department of Ecology’s analytical laboratory and the Sanitary Laboratory of Navoi Azot JSC conducted environmental analyses in the vicinity of residential areas.

The results revealed alarming pollution levels: the concentration of ammonia in the air was 1.4 times higher than the permissible limit, while hydrogen sulfide levels were 16.8 times above the norm.

Further analysis by the regional Hydrometeorological Department showed that at the first observation post on Zulfiya Street, carbon dioxide levels exceeded the norm by 1.04 times, and ammonia levels were 1.1 times higher. At the second observation post on Me’morlar Street, ammonia levels were found to be 1.2 times above the acceptable threshold.

“In order to carry out inspections on the territory of Navoiyazot JSC and identify potential violations, preparations are underway to submit collected documents for inspection with the approval of the Commissioner for the Protection of Entrepreneurial Rights under the President. Further updates will be provided following the investigation,” the department stated.

Many social media users claimed that the smoke originated from the territory of Navoiyazot JSC. However, the company denied responsibility.

According to Navoiyazot, the smoke came from the western part of the city—near Navoi International Airport—and passed over and around the enterprise due to the direction of the wind before spreading throughout the city.

“In light of this, we urge citizens not to make unfounded accusations that damage the enterprise’s reputation,” the company said in a statement.

It is worth recalling a previous environmental incident: On September 1 last year, hydrogen sulfide was released during drilling operations at well No. 604 in the “Mustaqillikning 25 yilligi” mine, located in the Kofrun neighborhood of Boysun district, Surkhandarya region. The gas leak, caused by a violation of the technological process, led to the evacuation of nearby residents. Senior government officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister, were dispatched to the site. By September 15, gas emissions were stopped through technical intervention, including the injection of Barite solution. However, four people were ultimately confirmed dead, and 11 others were hospitalized as a result of the incident. On September 18, at a press conference, Deputy Minister of Ecology Jusipbek Kazbekov stated that the situation had stemmed from a technical failure, not excessive emissions. Uktam Utayev, Head of the Prosecutor General’s Office Department for Environmental Supervision, later confirmed the fatalities and injuries caused by the leak.