President issues decree on Tashkent’s environmental situation

A special commission has been established to improve the environmental situation in Tashkent. This was stipulated in the presidential decree signed today, 25 November, titled “On Urgent Measures to Improve the Environmental Situation in Tashkent City.”

According to the decree, the special commission will oversee the implementation of urgent measures to enhance the city’s environmental conditions.

The commission is authorized to temporarily suspend or halt the operations of greenhouses and other facilities that release substances negatively affecting air quality.

On 24 November, Saida Mirziyoyeva, eldest daughter of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Head of the Presidential Administration, held a meeting with the Administration and heads of relevant agencies to discuss urgent measures to improve Tashkent’s environmental situation.

At the meeting, officials noted that recent levels of air pollution were causing serious concern, justifiably alarming the city’s residents, and demanded prompt and coordinated action.

For reference, on 20 November, Tashkent ranked among the world’s most polluted major cities. Experts linked the increased pollution to temperature inversions caused by sharp weather fluctuations, which trap harmful particles in the lower layers of the atmosphere. To improve air quality, the Tashkent Thermal Power Plant in Yakkasaray District has ceased using fuel oil.

Earlier, it was reported that the “Green Belt” and “Green Corridor” projects were being implemented in Tashkent to increase tree coverage, stabilize the environmental situation, and purify the city’s air.