Opponents of Kudepsta TPP in Sochi claim destruction of hectares of forest

In Sochi, residents of the village of Kudepsta registered forest cutting at the place of the construction of a Thermal Power Plant (TPP). According to the local residents, the destruction of forest was conducted illegally; meanwhile, the police failed to take any measures against violators.

According to ecologist Vladimir Kimaev, on August 5, the constructors cut down about one hectare of forest without a permit to clear the ground for the construction of TTP on the left bank of the Kudepsta River.

"On September 5, a barbaric forest cutting was started, which continued on September 6 with full police inaction. On September 5, we call the police, and it arrived in 10 hours. And after arrival, the policemen took no measures against violators," said Mikhail Shapurma, an activist on public duty.

He has added that only on September 5, the activists on duty call the police four times on the fact of illegal cutting of healthy trees in the national park for the construction of the Kudepsta TPP.

The correspondent contacted the unit on duty of the Adler Police Department and talked to Boris Shulga, operation officer on duty, who confirmed that he had received several calls from the Kudepsta residents on the facts of illegal cutting of trees and sent police officers to the place to clarify the circumstances of the case.

Mikhail Shapurma has reported that on September 5, a Lada car of the UVD (Interior Department) with state registration numbers of 8516-23 with two police officers arrived only at 8:00 p.m. "They began to ask us to explain about our calls to the unit on duty starting from 10:00 a.m. Having received our explanations, they refused to go to the place, where the constructors were cutting trees to file a protocol, and they stepped into their car and drove away," the activist said.

Police officials from the unit on duty have explained that "the complaints of the Kudepsta residents about tree felling were accepted and they are to be investigated."