Residents in Karaganda region express concerns over insufficient water supply
In the Osakarovsky district of Karaganda region, a controversy grips several villages- Kutumsuk, Baskorik, Yugo-Vostok, and Zhauntobe- as accusations of the absence of drinking water facilities circulate on social media. Locals allege that despite plans for water treatment installations, no wells or equipment have materialized, according to Liter.kz.
Documents from the state procurement portal, as reported by the Telegram channel "Letters to the President", indicate a contractor claimed to install 105 million tenge worth of water treatment stations on May 26, 2025. Although electronic acts were signed, residents claim they have seen no signs of the work, sparking suspicions that the project remains on paper.
Refuting these claims, the Osakarovsky district akimat asserted that Kutumsuk village does not lack drinking water, as reported in an official statement to Liter.kz. The akimat further explained that the video posted on social media depicted a simple KBM, only acting as a well fence, not a water treatment module.
The department admitted that a full-fledged water treatment complex is currently being installed in the village of Akmakonyr, with LLP "S. INSIGHT" hired for the project following competitive procedures. Meanwhile, the villages of Akmakonyr, Zhauntobe, and Yugo-Vostok already have access to drinking water, and work on installing water treatment facilities in these settlements has already commenced, with a scheduled completion date of July 2025.
In the past, it was reported at a meeting of the Party Control Committee of the Amanat party that approximately 705 villages and 18 cities across Kazakhstan still lack clean drinking water. Despite President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's instructions to ensure 100% coverage for all settlements by 2025 and the allocation of over 700 billion budget tenge over the last three years, tens of thousands of Kazakhstanis still utilize wells and water trucks.
- The controversy in Kutumsuk, Baskorik, Yugo-Vostok, and Zhauntobe villages over the lack of drinking water facilities stems from policy-and-legislation surrounding the government's water supply projects and politics.
- This general news issue, highlighting the absence of water treatment installations despite promises, signals a larger challenge in ensuring clean drinking water across Kazakhstan's settlements as per the 2025 deadline set by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
