Smoke from Bishkek thermal power plant covers capital, but plant denies this - vice mayor

AKIPRESS.COM - "It is visible that smoke from the combined heat and power plant covers Bishkek if look at the city from hills oustide the capital. But the plant denies this fact, saying they have filters and that the plant emits just steam," Bishkek vice mayor Jamalbek Irsaliev said at the meeting of the permanent commission of the Bishkek local council today.
"I declare that smog appeared after modernization of the Bishkek combined heat and power plant," he said.
Checks are conducted, but they are useless, he said. The thermal power plant burns coal and contributes 88% to air pollution, while private houses contribute 12%, the vice mayor said.
"We need to resolve this problem. We do not have a laboratory to determine this. We try to work on this problem, but it is unknown when it can be solved," the vice mayor said.
Besides, the vice mayor admitted that burning landfill is another contributor to air pollution. The mayor's office does not have funds for resolution of this problem either.
The vice mayor suggested to conduct check of the combined heat and power plant. His suggestion was supported by local councilor Saidakhmat Ismailov, who also said the smog appeared after modernization of the thermal power plant.
Besides, it was announced that people still prefer burning coal instead of using gas for heating, since gas is expensive.