01:48, 14 September 2005

Disastrous living conditions cause health problems

The dwellers of a multi-storey block of flats (No 31 A) in Kirov Avenye in Grozny's Leninskii district complain about extremely poor living conditions.

Sewage flows have flooded the basement of the building and muddy puddles have appeared on the premises. Children there have various skin diseases, rash and itch and it is impossible to go out because of the stench. Besides, there are swarms of rats, let alone mosquitoes, according to a local resident.

Yet local officials do take no action, saying there are no funds to replace the sewage system in the building. "We send special machinery there to clean the basements from sewage flows, but this helps little. They are filled again almost immediately. Those who repaired the building should be made accountable, but it is two years and a half since then, and it is unlikely that those guilty will be found," a housing and utilities sector official says.

The situation is worse still because there is a paediatric polyclinic on the ground floor of the building in Kirov Avenye. However, the district administration seems to be absolutely indifferent towards this fact.

Heart diseases smite Chechnya

Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent