Unreclaimed Coal Mines of the Sulyukta Deposit_1
39°57’1430″N 69°44’2414″E
The coal industry is one of the most controversial in terms of profitability and one of the most dangerous in terms of negative impact on the ecology and human health within the fuel and energy complex of Kyrgyzstan. Despite the fact that many countries have recently begun to abandon coal in favor of alternative energy sources, thus provoking a decrease in demand and devaluation of this type of fuel, local authorities still consider coal a promising sector of the industry and are taking measures to increase coal production volumes. In the Batken region, more than 300,000 tons of coal are mined annually. However, complex underground operations are often carried out without adherence to safety regulations, and unqualified local residents extract the black gold.
Coal mines and open-pit mines pollute the atmospheric air and water bodies, poison and permanently destroy the genetic profile of the soil, and become sources of a huge amount of hazardous waste and industrial debris. Coal dust, soot, and fine particulate matter released into the atmosphere during coal extraction and transportation can lead to oncological and other diseases of the heart and respiratory system, causing premature deaths of hundreds of people. Official statistics confirm that in coal mining areas, air, water, and soil pollution, as well as high morbidity and mortality rates, are significantly higher than in areas distant from coal enterprises. However, in most cases, authorities and regulatory bodies prefer not to speak about this openly. These plans mean that coal open-pits, which have already expanded over the past decades, will continue to grow. Open-pit coal mining permanently alters the landscape. Authorities and businesses talk a lot about land reclamation, but this is a lengthy process. Recently conducted environmental monitoring in the licensed area of coal mining enterprises, specifically in the Kokine-Sai sections, the 8th and 11th fields, showed that…
Waste dumps are piled up spontaneously. There are no containers for household waste.
Everywhere in the coal mining areas and adjacent urban territories, landslide phenomena are observed.
There are marshy areas resulting from the extraction of groundwater.
Pits for temporary storage of extracted coal are abandoned and require reclamation work.
The technological roads in some areas do not meet road safety requirements, and there are no warning road signs for guiding vehicle drivers.
Drainage ditches have not been built around the mines.
No permits have been obtained from coal mining companies for the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere or for waste disposal.
It should be noted that Sulukta is home to one of the oldest coal open-pits in the country. Coal mining here began in 1868.
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