Tajikistan’s uranium “graveyard” is located in the city of Istiqlal or the former Taboshar. The legacy of the Soviet Union, which residents say they are still suffering from.
Inobat Ashurova is one of them. He says that every time bad weather makes walking difficult and pain increases.
“When fog appears, the head hurts. I think that’s when the radiation goes up. I feel the same way. I don’t know the others. My head hurts a lot, my blood pressure rises. I went to the doctor, he gave such a diagnosis,” he said.
Vera Kalashnikova has lived in the city of Istiklal for many years. He used to be a teacher, now he is a cleaner of a state enterprise. He remembers the history of the city step by step. In particular, how to protect people from dormant uranium.
“Earlier, sprinklers used to go around and sprinkle water on the streets three times a day. Everything was fresh. Now you are walking in the city, the weather is not good. For this reason, heart pain, leg pain, high blood pressure can be seen in some people. Some die young,” he said.
In the territory of the city of Istiklal, about 50 million tons of waste or radioactive waste have been so-called “buried”. The grave of the victims of uranium production enterprises is also in this city.
In October of this year, the Russian company “Rosatom” placed radioactive waste in Istiklal city in iron and concrete tanks and coated it, based on an interstate project. According to the officials of the company, the radiation situation was reduced to the lowest level and according to international standards.
“We can definitely and with full responsibility say to the high-ranking officials of the brotherly country of Tajikistan that the work has been done 100%. The region has become ecologically harmless. As was mentioned in the conversation between the head of the region and the minister, all this work is for the people and health protection the population of Sughd region was implemented. This is important for us,” — Nikolay Spassky, deputy general manager of Rosatom.
Residents say different things, but at the same time they are growing, besides this city, which is their birthplace and place of residence, they currently have no other place to move to.
“I went to cotton picking for a health check. I felt good there. When I returned, I felt bad. But we have nowhere else to go. We were born and live here. Who will receive us elsewhere?” – asked Inobat Ashurova.
Source : Радио Озоди