Kuryk is the administrative center of Karakiya district in Mangystau Provinceб located in desert or semi-desert landscape. The settlement is not very large with about 10 000 inhabitants. Even though it is rather big, it has poor infrastructure and problematic waste management.
Waste
Citizens pay 120 TT per month per person for waste management, but they claim there is a lack of waste containers; only 2 containers for 4- 6 houses. The company should empty the containers every day, but the containers are all the time overloaded. No waste separation system is implemented and the spots with containers are not fenced, so the wind scatters the waste around, especially plastic bags. In town, there is also a military base which has no own containers and uses the town waste collection system. Another problem is dumping domestic waste at the beach, which includes glass bottles that often break. This creates serious obstacles to the recreation both of locals and tourists from the region. Containers are located at a considerable distance from the beach and people are often neglected it.
Animals
As there is virtually no vegetation, domestic animals which move freely through town eat the waste from waste containers. People also intentionally buy cardboard in the city markets and feed their cows with this paper, if they have no financial means to buy expensive feed and hay. We can suspect that the quality of milk and meet of these animals might not follow the hygienic standards.
Greenery
Although about two decades ago there were trees and greenery in the town, beds of flowers, now it is almost completely deserted. The municipality does not water the trees regularly. Trees died because of very dry period of years. Domestic animals devastate the remaining few trees, even the newly planted ones.
Sewage
Sewage system is old and leaking at several sections. People say once was a big breakage of the sewage system and the wastewater is flowing directly on the streets. Now the problematic situation is at the elementary school. Three years ago, sewage pipes clogged and ripped. Since then, the wastewater flows through the schoolyard, where the toilets are located. From the yard, water flows further to the building of the school, forming a huge puddle. Walls of the building are visibly soaked. Nobody from local authorities deals with the problem, although it is happening in the centre of the town by the school.
https://ecocitizens.kz/en/hotspots/kuryk#sigProId97df9cfbca
