Parents of children in Almaty have begun recording video messages to the President of Kazakhstan so that the country's authorities would pay attention to the environmental problem in the city and begin to take the necessary measures.

Context: According to the Almaty Air Initiative, each Almaty resident passively smokes about 487 cigarettes a year simply by living in the city. As the head of the Almaty Air Initiative Zhuldyz Saulebekova says, this is the equivalent of PM2.5 particles, which was converted into cigarettes to provide a clear example of the air that adults and children in Almaty breathe.

"Mr. President, my name is Tomiris, I am 7 years old. I smoke 60-70 cigarettes a month, and 487 cigarettes a year. Just living in Almaty. Now breathing fresh air has become a privilege, not a right. All children of Almaty have the right to breathe fresh air! I ask on behalf of all the children of Almaty, help us, I beg you," Tomiris said in her video message.

It is known that on January 14, Almaty topped the ranking of the most polluted cities in the world on the website Iqair.com .

"Mr. President, my name is Arina Orlova, I am 8 years old. The air in Almaty is very dirty, many children get sick, even my friends and I. Last year, I was hospitalized three times: they gave me injections, it was very painful and disgusting. Doctors are putting me at risk of asthma. Please help," Arina said in a video message.

Her mother also appealed to the president about the polluted air in the city.

"Children of Almaty are in danger. The level of disability after infectious diseases grows every year by 7%. More than 60% suffer from allergies, more than half of children are at risk of developing asthma. More than 500,000 children live in Almaty. And almost all of them are potential invalids," writes the girl's mother, Almira Orlova.

She emphasizes that Almaty residents have had nothing to breathe for many years, and now the problem has reached all possible proportions.

"Almaty has never been as dangerous for children as it has been in the last five years. The Akimat allows the use of pyrotechnics and even more air pollution every night. Infectious disease hospitals are overcrowded. The entire foothills are being built up. There are no parks, playgrounds, or conditions for outdoor recreation with children. Mr. President, children's health is protected by the Constitution and their right to life is violated. Help us raise a healthy generation," concluded Almira Orlova.

"Mr. President, my name is Ali Akhmet, I am 10 years old. I have been registered with asthma for five years. The air in Almaty is very dirty. Please take action," Ali said. Videos of the other children can be seen here .

Earlier we wrote about the study on air quality in Almaty for 2024. You can read more here .

What else is known

In addition, forecasters from the RSE "Kazhydromet" report daily unfavorable meteorological conditions in most cities of Kazakhstan. Most often, Almaty, Pavlodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semey, Aktobe, Karaganda, Zhezkazgan, Temirtau, Atyrau are noted.

Adverse weather conditions are a combination of short-term meteorological factors (calm, light wind, fog, inversion) that contribute to the accumulation of harmful (polluting) substances in the surface layer of atmospheric air.

   

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Cover: photo from open sources