Residents of Kuban criticized the authorities for the failure of the waste reform.

The authorities of Kuban decided to introduce a state of heightened readiness in ten municipalities due to the exhaustion of landfill capacity. Local residents, commenting on this decision online, criticized the authorities for the failure of the waste reform and complained about the accumulation of waste and unsanitary conditions due to landfills.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the main stage of the waste reform began in Russia on January 1, 2019. In the Krasnodar region, the transition to the new system of solid municipal waste management was postponed for a year – to January 1, 2020. At the same time, it was implemented in stages: by the beginning of 2020, four regional operators began work according to the approved tariffs.

The threat of an emergency situation due to a lack of space at landfills was reported in his Telegram channel by a deputy of the Krasnodar City Duma Aleksandr Safronov. He published a screenshot of the order from the governor of the Krasnodar region Veniamin Kondratiev dated October 22 No. 294-r on the introduction of a state of heightened readiness.

According to the document, the capacity of existing landfills is being exhausted, and it is physically impossible to redirect waste to alternative facilities. This creates risks of disrupting the waste collection, transportation, and burial system.

The threat of a regional emergency arose in Novorossiysk, Sochi, Hot Key, Tuapse municipal district, Apsheronsk, Belorechensk, Yeysk, Kurganinsk, Starominsk, and Temryuk districts, as indicated in the document.

Among the possible consequences mentioned in the order are "interruptions in the collection of MSW in the settlements of the region," accumulation of waste in public and private areas, proliferation of rodents and insects – carriers of infections, and the emergence of infectious diseases. The order also warns of the risk of illegal dumps appearing in forests, ravines, along roads, and in abandoned areas.

The governor instructed the heads of administrations and landfill owners to "intensify efforts to minimize the consequences."

A post stating that the authorities of Kuban decided to introduce a state of heightened readiness due to a lack of space at landfills was published today by the Telegram channel "Tupodar Krasnodar," which has more than 56.6 thousand subscribers. As of 10:40 AM Moscow time on October 28, this post received more than 220 user reactions and 40 comments.

Residents of Krasnodar criticized the authorities in the comments. "This means: I don’t know what to do, come up with something. I did everything I could – declared a state of readiness. The rest is up to you," wrote La piscine.

"They are masters at declaring, they don’t even have time to work," stated kusi.

"It was initially a failure," wrote Kat about the waste reform.

"You write sensible things. The question is that there is no money for trucks or a plant for burning waste for a huge city and all the resort towns. There is money for tiles, for elections, for officials' salaries. There is no money for free travel for all pensioners and the elderly, for a women's shelter – there is no money. And for many other very important things – there is none!" wrote Natalia Magdaluk.

"And Krasnodar? Is everything okay in Krasnodar?" asked a user with the nickname Birdwatching in Krasnodar and the region.

"Apparently, compared to others, it’s even good," replied Alexey.

"Nothing good! The smell from the landfills reaches the city, the air in all of Krasnodar is just terrible," retorted Tamara.

"In Krasnodar, the apocalypse with garbage collection has long been underway – probably, the decision has been made – not to take out the garbage from the bins," believes Elena.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that the problem with landfills and unauthorized dumps in the Krasnodar region has been relevant for a long time. For example, residents of the village of Poltavskaya have been demanding the closure of the local landfill since the beginning of 2022. They have repeatedly held protests. The protests on March 23 and April 5, 2023, resulted in fines and police dispersal, and after another road blockade on May 26, ten activists were detained and fined.

In January 2024, more than 3,000 residents of Slavyansk-on-Kuban demanded the closure of an unauthorized dump, where, according to them, waste began to arrive after the closure of the landfill in Poltavskaya.

In November 2023, the prosecutor's office recognized a conflict of interest: the duties of the landfill director were performed by Natalia Vakulenko – the daughter of the then head of the Krasnoarmeysky district Yuri Vasin, who did not take the necessary measures to resolve the situation. Earlier, activists had appealed to the prosecutor's office asking to check the connections of the official's family with the business of waste reception, storage, and disposal.

In September 2023, the governor of the Krasnodar region Veniamin Kondratiev intervened in the conflict, meeting with activists twice. According to the villagers, he promised orally twice to eliminate the dump, but the promises were not documented. Since November 11, 2023, the landfill's operations were suspended, and on December 4, 2023, Kondratiev announced the closure of the facility without resuming its operations. The governor acknowledged that this was achieved thanks to the persistence of local residents and announced upcoming reclamation, without specifying the timelines.