Ilsur Metshin: “Many generations of Kazan residents dreamed about the “Vodokanal” project”

(KZN.RU, January 24, Alsu Safina). The work on cleaning the water protection areas, the water area of the Volga River, storm drains, the elimination of unauthorized landfills and the fight against gas pollution is planned in Kazan. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, said this at a session of the City Duma and noted that the state of the environment is inextricably connected with the health of the population.

One of the important issues is the reconstruction of the biological sewage treatment facilities of the “Vodokanal”. “Everything that is connected with the “Vodokanal” is the projects that many generations of Kazan residents have dreamed of”, Ilsur Metshin was happy about the positive changes that expect the residents of the city.

Igor Kulyazhev, the deputy head of the Executive Committee and the chairman of the Committee of External Improvement, said that at the first stage of the reconstruction, 25 facilities are being closed with removable structures. Now the installation is conducted on 5 of them. At the second stage, a facility for processing sludge will be constructed. At the third stage, reclamation of sludge fields will be carried out. “At the end of January, a contest will be announced for design and survey works for reclamation of sludge fields to an environmentally safe condition’, said I. Kulyazhev. “The result of these works will be the creation of an ecologically safe complex of treatment facilities, the processing of sludge residues will start, a huge territory on the bank of the Volga will be returned to the city for further use”, he added.

Igor Kulyazhev noted that during the construction of the plant, the sanitary protection zone remains the same and the construction will not affect the inhabitants of Otary Village.

Speaking about the results of 2018, Igor Kulyazhev reminded that in the summer, Kazan took part in the republican action “Chisty Bereg” (Rus. “Clean Coast”). The coastal line of 96 water bodies with an area of more than 300 hectares was cleared by the forces of enterprises and active citizens of Kazan. Kazan won the first place in the category “Best Municipal District” by the results of work in this area.

One of the problematic issues for the city is the shortage of sewage treatment plants in storm sewage releases. “3 sewage treatment plants on the storm sewer networks started to work on the territory of Kazan in 2014”, said I. Kulyazhev. According to him, this allowed reducing the concentration of pollutants in water.

I. Kulyazhev also said that the development of design estimates was completed and the state expertise was carried out in the area of the Kazan State Academy of Veterinary Medicine for the construction of sewage treatment plants for the release of storm sewage. The land was allocated to continue work on the design and construction of treatment facilities. According to estimates made in 2013, it is necessary to build another 20 treatment facilities.

Deputy Rustam Ramazanov drew attention to the fact that snow, which in winter is collected from the streets of the city, is polluted by harmful impurities from road transport and anti-ice reagents. “What measures are taken by the city authorities to prevent harmful substances from entering our reservoirs after the melting of snow?” he asked.

I. Kulyazhev noted that those measures are not only three treatment facilities that prevent the entry of harmful substances into the water area of the Kazanka River and other water bodies. Last year, places of temporary storage of snow that were in the protective zone of water bodies were liquidated under the order of the prosecutor's office.

Another important project for the city is the eco-rehabilitation of the historical channel of Kazanka of the municipal water body “Admiralteisky Pond”. The work was started last year in the framework of the federal target program.

Speaking about the water bodies of the city, Farid Abdulganiev, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the RT, noted that it is necessary to work on the formation of land plots underwater objects and their registration as municipal property for the preservation of reservoirs for future generations.

Last year, the Kazanka River was under special attention. Large-scale inspections by enterprises discharging sewage into the river were carried out jointly with the prosecutor's office. All violators were brought to administrative responsibility.

Another project is the planting of tree shrubs in the water protection zone of Kazanka. It was launched jointly with the Ministries of Agriculture and Food of the RT and the Forestry of the RT.