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Construction sites in Uzbekistan have long been a concern for residents who suffer daily from air pollution caused by dust. Finally, lawmakers have turned their attention to this issue, proposing a bill that would hold developers accountable for non-compliance with environmental standards.
Fines: What’s the Price Tag?
According to the draft law, the following penalties are proposed for violations of air protection regulations:
- A 10-fold basic calculation amount (3.7 million UZS) for the first offense.
- A 50-fold basic calculation amount (18.7 million UZS) for repeated violations within a year.
Sounds substantial? Only at first glance. For construction companies with billion-sum turnovers, these fines are more like pocket change. They can easily be included in the budget without affecting the companies’ profits.
Experts Raise Questions About the Draft Law:
- Control. To impose a fine, violations must be proven. Who will oversee this, and how? Are there enough resources for regulatory bodies to monitor violations across numerous sites?
- Enforcement. If enforcement is merely symbolic, companies might continue ignoring environmental regulations, choosing to pay fines instead of addressing the root issues.
- Long-Term Impact. If paying fines remains cheaper than complying with regulations, we won’t see meaningful improvements in air quality.
Construction Dust: More Than Just an Inconvenience
According to experts, fine particles of dust from open construction sites can penetrate the respiratory system, causing allergies and lung diseases. For cities like Tashkent, already grappling with high levels of air pollution, construction dust becomes yet another threat to residents’ health.
A Step Forward, But Is It Enough?
This bill is an important move that could lay the groundwork for improving the environmental situation. But will enforcement be strong enough? Or will it become just another initiative “for show”? We’ve often seen good laws lose their impact due to weak oversight and the impunity of violators.
We hope these fines won’t simply become another line item in construction companies’ budgets but a real incentive to follow environmental rules. And we hope residents will finally notice a difference—not just in the air but in how their well-being is prioritized.
What do you think? Can these fines be an effective measure? Or will they remain symbolic?
The article may contain inaccuracies as it is translated by AI. For more details, please refer to the Russian version of the article. If you notice any inaccuracies, you can send corrections via the Telegram bot: Uzvaibik_bot.
