It was decided to help the bewildered residents of Tashkent with military bands

Due to the anomalous frosts that have engulfed the whole of Central Asia, a very difficult situation has developed in Uzbekistan since last week. In Tashkent, residents of entire districts found themselves without electricity, gas and hot water. Vacations are being extended in kindergartens, schools and universities of the country, the opening hours of shops are being reduced. People are forced to cook on fires on the street, and bask there. The country’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, meanwhile, has already found the perpetrators.

Winter for Uzbekistan this year turned out to be extremely severe. The abundance of snow is accompanied by unprecedented frosts. In the past few days, thermometers in the cities of the country showed from -15 to -25 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the provision of heat to the country’s citizens largely depends on imported gas supplies.

Abnormal cold has also been observed for almost a week in neighboring Turkmenistan, from where gas and electricity are supplied to Uzbekistan. On January 12, due to unusually low temperatures, an accident occurred at the Turkmen Galkynysh field, requiring serious repairs. Because of this, the import of natural gas through the Daryalyk station completely stopped, and the import of electricity decreased by 20%. Residents, trying with all their might to keep warm with the help of heaters and gas stoves, involuntarily increased the load on the power grid. Which eventually led to an energy deficit.

However, this does not remove the responsibility for preparing for the heating season from a number of Uzbek officials and leaders. This is exactly what President Mirziyoyev considered when he dismissed the hokim (mayor) of Tashkent, Jahongir Artykhodzhaev, who had held this post since 2018. “For empty words, a false report, for not going downstairs, for the fact that this shameless man’s legs were off the ground, I fired him,” Mirziyoyev said sharply about the former capital mayor of Uzbekistan.

Uzbek media reported that Artykhodzhaev tried to flee the country and was detained at the airport, but this was later denied by the government. Bakhtiyor Rakhmonov, Artykhodzhaev’s deputy, has been appointed acting mayor. Together with Artykhodzhaev, the khokims of Andijan, Asaka, Fergana, Pakhtaabad and Nurabad districts in Andijan, Fergana and Samarkand regions were also dismissed.

Another reason for the current collapse may be corruption. The Uzbek leader himself points to this. “Don’t you know about the theft in the electricity and gas sectors?” – Mirziyoyev addressed the khokims and heads of the country’s electricity and gas departments at a meeting on Tuesday.

According to him, over the past few months, 192 cases of corruption in the oil and gas and energy control systems have been identified in Uzbekistan, and the number of illegal connections to gas networks over the past month amounted to 4.5 thousand, to electric networks – 5 thousand.

In this regard, the reasons for the dismissal of the Deputy Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Sherzod Khodjaev became clear. The heads of the companies “Regional Electric Grids” Ulugbek Mustafayev, “Uztransgaz” Bekhzot Normatov and “Uzbekneftegaz” Mekhriddin Abdullayev were demoted by the president to and. about. with a trial period of three months. In addition, Mirziyoyev initiated prosecutorial checks in the energy sector.

Meanwhile, the people of Uzbekistan continue to survive without heat and often light. Now the situation is improving somewhat, as the frosts are gradually weakening, and the authorities, after Mirziyoyev’s speeches, began to actively solve the problems of the population. However, even at home, many still have to walk in winter jackets and fur coats.

“We built a bunch of everything on old, still Soviet communications. Can’t stand anything,” a Russian resident of Tashkent shared on social networks. According to her, now many Tashkent residents are in a difficult moral and physical condition. “We have to cook food at night, because at night the gas pressure increases a little,” the woman complains.

From the very beginning of the crisis, citizens themselves began to escape from the cold by lighting fires in the yards. Helping people not to freeze on the street is entrusted to the military, the National Guard and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Each department has its own districts, where they set up tents with a field kitchen and stoves, with free hot tea and pilaf. In some of these heating points, you can watch TV and charge your phone. For moral support, in some places, small military bands play near the tents.

Since the temperature in the apartments is sometimes slightly higher than outside, some residents stay in these areas to live: “Since yesterday there has been no electricity, there has been no gas for a week already. Here we are provided with everything. We will stay here until the light is returned.”

The effects of frost on apartment buildings have yet to be overcome. For example, the heating system in the houses of the residents of the fourth quarter of the Tashkent Chilanzar massif was out of order due to the cold – pipes burst. Now they have to be changed.

In the Tashkent metro, heat is maintained, in some places even with excess. At the stations, the townspeople noticed how plentiful steam was coming out of the underground exits. In addition, you can also charge your smartphone in the metro or rent a Powerbank from 1 hour to two days.

At the limit, “ambulance” works. Due to frost in Tashkent, some cars were out of order, while people’s need for medical care has now increased due to frostbite and diseases. Animals also suffer greatly – stray dogs and cats simply freeze to death on the streets of the city.

The situation remains difficult for residents of rural areas of Uzbekistan, where the lack of electricity and gas is aggravated by the lack of wood for making fires and stoves. Even cooking is often impossible. People are falling into despair.

On Monday, in the Humo mahalla in the 8th microdistrict of Chirchik, Tashkent region, residents, mostly women, blocked the road due to a long absence of electricity. The local hokim went to the place. Apologizing, the official promised that after the installation of a new transformer, the light there “won’t turn off at all.” After that, the crowd dispersed.

In another district of Chirchik, the situation almost turned into a tragedy. When electricians arrived at the de-energized house, one of the residents almost stabbed one of them by putting a knife to his throat. Now she faces criminal charges.