In Dagestan, Samur residents demand Samur nature reserve to be administered by federal authorities

Residents of the village of Samur of the Magaramkent District of Dagestan demand to transfer the Samur forest to federal administration and to ban geological examinations in the surrounding areas. This was stated by them on January 22 at the meeting of Mamed Abbasov, State Duma Deputy, with members of the Federal Lezgin National and Cultural Autonomy (FLNCA), hydrologists, and public figures.

Let us remind you that residents of the Magaramkent District oppose the construction of Derbent water pipeline. They believe that it will negatively affect the environment of the area, and the Samur forest will face the threat of destruction because of the irrational use of water resources.

According to Ruslan Gereev, a member of the Board of the FLNCA, at present, the Samur residents have a real chance to stop geological examinations in the vicinity of the village.

"At present, when the problem came to the federal level, the Dagestani authorities can no longer ignore it. There will be ecological monitoring, and geological examination cannot be performed without the permission of ecologists and, especially, hydrologists. In fact, there is a real danger of soil salinization and desertification," Ruslan Gereev has said.