Center for State Ecological Expertise

In response to each complaint, environmental service specialists visited the relevant locations, conducted the necessary inspections and collected air samples to obtain reliable data and take appropriate measures against those responsible for releasing pollutants into Tashkent’s atmosphere.

A special commission is taking comprehensive measures to reduce the adverse impact of various anthropogenic sources on the capital’s ambient air quality. The main sources of pollution include industrial enterprises, motor vehicles and heating systems. During the autumn and winter seasons, greenhouse farms located near residential areas in the capital region also contribute to this problem.

It should be noted that representatives of greenhouse farms have repeatedly expressed their willingness to modernise existing facilities, switch to environmentally friendly heating technologies and reduce emissions to safe levels in accordance with established standards.

The proposals put forward by greenhouse farm operators include transitioning to energy-efficient technologies and upgrading their facilities with modern heating systems, while ensuring real-time online monitoring of atmospheric emissions.

In particular, it is proposed that greenhouse farms equipped with heating systems and holding positive conclusions from the state environmental expertise process should operate using natural gas, including liquefied gas, electricity, geothermal and solar energy, as well as secondary heat generated by thermal power plants.

Where the use of the aforementioned technologies is not feasible, greenhouse farm operators propose being permitted to use coal as an additional fuel for heating their greenhouses. In such cases, according to their proposals, the facilities must be equipped with modern, certified heating boilers and mandatory emission treatment and filtration systems that meet pollutant emission standards. They must also introduce video surveillance systems capable of transmitting relevant data and live video feeds to the National Environmental Monitoring Centre under the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.

These proposals were reviewed by a working group comprising representatives of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy and other relevant government authorities.

Greenhouse farm operators presented a prototype integrated heating system consisting of boiler equipment and a filtration system based on Chinese technology. Specialists from the National Environmental Monitoring Centre conducted repeated measurements of atmospheric emissions in accordance with the approved methodology, in the presence of representatives of the mass media and the Public Council of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.

Measurements conducted on 30 September and 8 October of this year to assess emissions from the filter prototype revealed that the emission indicators did not meet the standards required to ensure public health and safety. Under the agreement reached, greenhouse farm operators will further improve the proposed filter prototype, after which the working group will carry out the relevant measurements once it is ready.

It is also reported that the working group has prepared a draft document establishing safe emission standards for filters used in boiler equipment at greenhouse farms.

At the same time, a substantial package of subsidies and tax incentives is envisaged for greenhouse farms intending to transition to “green greenhouses”. Given the harm that atmospheric pollutant emissions pose to public health, the ban on business operations in the capital region remains in force for greenhouse farms that are not equipped with environmentally safe heating systems.

The National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, together with the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard, will conduct continuous environmental monitoring of greenhouse farm operations while ensuring compliance with the current moratorium on inspections of business entities.