Makhachkala residents block streets in protest against water and electricity cut-offs

From 10 a.m. today, residents of high-rise apartment blocks adjacent to the Akushinskiy Avenue in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, began blocking the avenue in protest against regular water and electricity cut-offs.

Imagadzhi Abdullaev, one of the protesters, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that their flats have no water and electricity for more than a week. "Earlier, they supplied water and power at least under some schedule, now even this is not done. I'd hoped that with the newly appointed President the situation would change for the better, but in fact it's still worse," said the source.

Ali Magomedov, another Makhachkala resident, said that their house has nor heating either. "Heating functions only with electricity. We have in fact outdoor temperature in our rooms. Almost all my family members suffer from catarrhal diseases. Some of us addressed the administration of Makhachkala, where they listen to us, nod their heads, promise to remedy the situation, but do nothing," he said.

The Akushinskiy Avenue is one of the main streets running to the mountains; therefore, huge jams formed here in both directions. Drivers and passengers were swearing, but their attempts to break though the blockade were toughly stopped. Fights burst out from time to time; super-hot citizens were at once separated, by armed militiamen, in particular.

Guards of public order softly asked to unblock the road, but nobody would listen to them. One of the militiamen said, while preferring to remain anonymous, that he was sympathetic with the protesters. "Dozens of thousands of townspeople are without heat, water and power, but bureaucrats do nothing. I'd join them myself if not the uniform," he said.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the administration of Makhachkala that they knew what happened but were unable to explain the reasons of cut-offs; however assured that soon everything would be OK.