Rustam Minnikhanov: Tatarstan is actively involved in projects to improve the environmental situation

On February 10, at the Government House of the republic, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov took part in an extended summing up meeting of the Volga-Kama Interregional Department of Rosprirodnadzor on the results of its work in 2019 and tasks for the current year. Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage (Rosprirodnadzor) Svetlana Radionova took part in the meeting.

Minnikhanov noted that the Russian President set a number of tasks to improve the environmental situation in the country. The Ecology national project, which fully reflects all areas of work, was developed to solve them,. “We are actively involved in these projects. Moreover, much work is underway in Kazan. We had problems with wastewater treatment plants, now we are resolving issues regarding silt fields. Large projects are being implemented with the support of the federal centre. There are some problems in Nizhnekamsk and we are resolving them step by step,” Tatarstan President said.

Minnikhanov emphasized that a lot of work is underway in the country to systematize the collection of solid household waste. “There is a project for a thermal waste disposal plant. We will conduct fair international environmental impact assessment under this project,” he said.

Tatarstan President noted that every new project in the republic undergoes the necessary environmental impact assessment. “All environmental monitoring sensors at the regional enterprises should be publicly available. Information should be sent to a single centre and be available to our citizens,” he stressed.

Minnikhanov added that the republic will continue to pay great attention to environmental issues and environmental protection. He also said that in order to preserve the unique landscape complexes of the Volga River, to protect aquatic and near-water species of plants and animals listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan, it was decided to establish a state natural reserve of regional significance “Volga Open Spaces”.

Speaking at the meeting,  Rodionova noted that Tatarstan pays great attention to environmental issues. “The republic is famous for the introduction of new facilities that meet all the necessary environmental standards. You have good information systems and demonstrate best practices of enterprises,” she emphasized.