Authorities crack down on unauthorized sand mining in Samarkand

Illegal sand and gravel extraction in Jomboy District, Samarkand Region, has led to environmental damage exceeding 137 billion UZS, according to the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.

Authorities conducted a raid in the protected zone of the Oqdaryo River, where M.T. farm representatives were found using excavators and trucks to extract sand and gravel without proper authorization.

The actions violated Article 18 of the Law on Environmental Protection (regulating the use of mineral resources) and Article 35 of the Law on Subsoil Resources (stipulating rational use and conservation). The total ecological damage amounts to 137,472,370,649 UZS.

As part of the enforcement measures, the excavator and two transport vehicles have been confiscated, and all collected documents have been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office for legal assessment and further actions.

Earlier, similar violations occurred in Tashkent Region, where unauthorized sand extraction caused over 3.5 billion UZS in environmental damage.