The main subject for Public Hearings, conducted in five rayons of Almaty Oblast, was the discussion of Environmental Impact Assessment for the Project “Almaty – Khorgos”, approved by the World Bank

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Those were not the first Public Hearings with the participation of community and land owners of Ili, Talgar, Enbekshikazakh, Uighur and Panfilov rayons of the Oblast, through the territory of which the road of international importance will pass. Environmental and social consequences were discussed regarding forthcoming road-building works. This Report for EIA regarding the Project Almaty-Khorgos, approved by the World Bank, was submitted for verdict of the owners by Environmental Specialists again.

References: The length of the road section “Almaty – Khorgos” of International Transit Corridor “Western Europe – Western China” is 304 km. The road passes through the territory of five rayons of Almaty Oblast. 33 settlements with population more than 50 thousand people are located in zone of passing of the above road section. Alignment Almaty – Khorgos will start from Kapchagai highway, which is to the north-east from Almaty city and will run along a new way to the border with China. Corridor for this road section sufficiently passes through steppes, pastures and some irrigated agricultural fields, except for the group of archeologically important burial mounds, where archeological excavations and investigations will be carried out before any works are started.

The main purpose of the regular Public Hearings regarding the results of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of implementation for the Project “Almaty – Khorgos”, conducted in all five rayons of Oblast on 24-26 January 2012, was familiarization with its content. To date this document in Russian and English is accessible for the visitors of the website, as well as the website of the World Bank.
Public Hearings were conducted with the participation of representatives of Almaty Regional Department for Roads, Project Management Consultant, Design Consultants and administration of rayon Akimats.

Invited ones and participants of Public Hearings in persons of land owners were interested in the matters, connected with possible negative impact of forthcoming construction works on conducting of agriculture, particularly on safe migration of animals, as wild as domestic ones. There is a necessity to determine definite places for crossing the alignment. For that, the representatives of Almaty Regional Department for Roads and Design Consultants assured that they considered all the demands stated and establishing constant dialog before, during and after construction, aiming at provision of proper conditions for managing household without causing any damage on private or governmental property.