Pass Otmyok. Pollution of High-Mountain Jailyks by Livestock Derivatives

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73°8’30″E 42°17’9″N

The Otmok Pass (elevation 3330) is located in the Talas region and stretches from Susamyr to Talas, connecting the region with the Suusamyr Valley and the Bishkek — Osh highway.
The alpine highlands around the summit of the Otmok Pass are intensively used as summer pastures. Here, as well as on almost all major high-altitude pastures (dzhailoo), the skins of sheep, cows, and horses are discarded as unnecessary waste due to a lack of basic demand for them. The same situation applies to sheep wool.
During the Soviet Union, the processing of wool and skins was well organized in our republic. There were collection points for these materials from the population. People could earn a decent income from this. Currently, the situation in this sector is catastrophic, and no one is engaged in it.
As a result, farmers are forced to throw away tons of valuable raw materials that are not in demand. This spoils the appearance of the high-altitude pastures and pollutes the environment.