Kazakh Villagers Without Cars Forced to Melt Snow For Water

Villagers in Koyandy, north of Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana, are forced to melt snow for water as potable water is inaccessible to those without cars, according to Current Time.

Suyumjan Dusenov, a resident of Koyandy, told Current Time that he transports between 100 and 150 liters of water each day for his home and that of his neighbors who don’t have the means to travel. Additionally, water is consistently dirty, prompting resident to strain it through gauze before use. Another resident, Bakhyt Ayaganov, reports that water is often salty and potentially polluted with sewage.

The head of the village has said the issues stem from residents’ decisions to build on areas not intended for development. The water infrastructure will be improved, but not until 2021.

See shot list and translations below:

00:15 – Tleuzhan Kuat, Resident of Koyandy

“The water’s never clear even though we try to strain it through a gauze. But it’s still not clear.”

00:42 – Suyumjan Dusenov, Resident of Koyandy

“Every day, I bring home 100 to 150 liters of water, not just for myself but also for the neighbors. They don’t have a car, so I bring water for them, too.”

00:58 – Bakhyt Ayaganov, Resident of Koyandy

“The water is salty. It has some other impurities. It may have been mixed with sewage. We don’t have spring water here, only ground water. The well is just five or six meters deep, and the sewage water gets in.”

1:31 – Aibek Yeseyev, Head of Koyandy

“Local inhabitants have seized land [to build on] and are now asking for water, roads, and electricity. If this land had been granted as part of the general development plan, the way it should have been done legally, all these things would have been provided.” Credit: Current Time via Storyful