A report on the battle for land near Lake Ak-Gel has raised questions for Makhachkala authorities.

The court sided with the Makhachkala administration, preventing the transfer of a large plot of land near Lake Ak-Gyol from municipal ownership, the mayor's office reported. Telegram users inquired about the authorities' plans to prevent development and improve the area around the lake.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in March 2024, following protests from activists, the Makhachkala mayor's office canceled the auction for the right to lease land on the shore of Lake Ak-Gyol and in the Eltavsky Forest. Arsen Magomedov, an activist with the "Our City" movement, noted that the active position of city residents can influence the decisions of city authorities.

The Makhachkala administration reported on the results of the legal dispute over the registration of rights to a plot of land near Lake Ak-Gyol on its Telegram channel on December 4. "The city administration defended this territory in court, preventing the removal of 20,000 square meters of land from municipal ownership," the statement reads.

According to the publication, the plaintiff, whose details are not provided, attempted to register the land plot in his own name and have its boundaries established. "Furthermore, he demanded that the boundaries of several neighboring plots be annulled, five of which are municipally owned," the authorities stated.

The district court sided with the administration. "Since the plaintiff was unable to provide a single credible piece of evidence that this plot of land was ever allocated to him legally. The documents he referred to are not available in the city archives or in the funds of the relevant departments of the administration, which means it was impossible to confirm the origin of his 'rights.' Thus, the Makhachkala administration prevented an attempt to illegally register rights to a large plot of land," the statement reads.

Representatives of the movement "Our City" explained the essence of the protest against development on the shores of Ak-Gel. [The text appears to be incomplete and likely a mistranslation.]

This publication was reposted on his Telegram channel by Dzhambulat Salavov, elected mayor in October.. Some commenters considered the court's decision good news.

"Excellent news, we need to gradually begin improving this area," wrote Hemi, among others. "Keep up the good work, Dzhambulat Shapievich!" succinctly commented Khasmagomed Muslimov.

Other commenters addressed questions to the authorities about plans to improve the area around the lake. "When will the area around the lake be turned into a park?" - wrote, in particular, Yaya Yaya.

It would be great to create a large recreation area around the lake.

"There was information that illegal construction was underway around the lake. It is clear that some of the construction has been frozen. Will these horrors be torn down? It would be great to create a large recreation area around the lake," wrote Oksana Trishina.

"Even if this land was sold by the administration itself, how can our fellow countrymen in good conscience take this land and build something for their own selfish ends? Your children and grandchildren will then live among this concrete jungle, and there are already few green spaces in the city," expressed another user.

"This land is not allowed" "Should we grant it federal status so that no one even thinks about it?" Green Eyes wondered. "That's all well and good, of course, but what about the giant building under construction in the shape of a ship or a sail on the shore of Lake Ak-Gyol? Is its construction being carried out in compliance with all laws? Is it even legal? Isn't it a nature reserve?" – Amir asked.

"The construction permit for the facility was issued in 2016 [...] based on the documentation required to provide a municipal service, including materials contained in the design documentation and a positive expert opinion," a representative of the Department of Architecture and Urban Development responded.

As a reminder, residents' proposals to create new public gardens in Makhachkala are relevant because there aren't enough green spaces, activists from the "Our City" movement pointed out in March 2023. There is no longer enough space in the city for a new large park, so several mini-parks could be created, they suggested.

Makhachkala lacks park areas for recreation, residents complained in February 2023, and proposed several locations where, in their opinion, public gardens could be established. In the park near Lake Ak-Gel, 50 trees have been planted, the mayor's office reported in April of that year.

Furthermore, Makhachkala residents and local activists have repeatedly protested park development. For example, in October 2022, the construction of gazebos in Leninsky Komsomol Park raised alarm among residents. They pointed out that cutting down trees and building gazebos in one of the few green spaces is unacceptable. Following this, the Makhachkala prosecutor's office cancelled the permit for the gazebos' construction.