Heated public hearings over salt mining projects by AralTuz JSC and AralSoda LLP have split the community in the village of Inderbor, reports Todayinfo. Residents demanded answers to questions that they say have been ignored for several years.
Over 300 people gathered at the local cultural center. From the outset, the discussion was marked by loud remarks from the audience and attempts to interrupt the speakers. The purpose of the hearings was to obtain an environmental permit for the open-pit mining of table salt from Lake Inder.
The AralTuz project involves industrial mining on a 10,000-hectare plot. The plan is to extract up to 37,000 tons of salt annually from 2026 to 2037. The company promises to create about 500 jobs. However, calculations show that emissions could reach up to 136 tons per year.
"We have defined the sanitary protection zone at 500 meters. Considering the distance to the village, there is no danger. Regular monitoring will be conducted to control emissions and soil conditions," stated independent ecologist Daulet Asanov.
A separate issue was the change in the status of Lake Inder, which was removed from the list of specially protected areas in November 2024. According to activist Yesenbai Nurov, this was initiated by the Atyrau regional administration (akimat), and exploration licenses were issued without public discussion.
Opinions among the attendees were divided. Some supported the project, hoping for jobs, while others were strongly opposed. At one point, activists unfurled a banner reading "Hands off the lake," which caused an uproar in the hall.
"You cannot allow machinery using fuels and lubricants on the lake. During mining, salt will be lifted into the air and reach the village. I am categorically against it. We already have 'Indertuz,' which supplies half of Kazakhstan with salt; there is no shortage," said Marat Mukanov, a former district ecologist.
