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The head of Nizhnevartovsk adds to the list of failures, and the ONF demands that officials be relocated to houses flooded by sewers

The head of Nizhnevartovsk adds to the list of failures, and the ONF demands that officials be relocated to houses flooded by sewers

Ugra Housing Construction Inspectorate was involved in the conflict

Nizhnevartovsk officials could not give a time frame for solving the problem of sewer flooding of houses that were put into operation only four years ago. According to eyewitnesses, water and sewage have been flooding the basements of apartment buildings for several weeks. At the same time, neither pumping nor repair work at the pumping station could improve the situation. As a result, residents report “an unbearable stench, a massive influx of insects and injured children who are no longer allowed to go to school due to mosquito bites.” While residents talk about the “swamp” into which the basements of their houses are gradually turning, officials show little interest in resolving the conflict. As it turned out, the managers did not have enough of a year to resolve the issue of financing the construction of a capital water pumping station. At the same time, the expert community also had questions about the Housing and Construction Supervision Authority of Ugra. It was the service employees who gave permission to put into operation houses not connected to the central sewerage system. Observers have already called this story another illustration in the collection of failed cases of the team of the mayor of Nizhnevartovsk Dmitry Koshchenko. While the publication’s interlocutors list the most egregious facts of the administration’s dishonest work, the ONF initiated the relocation of employees of the city housing and communal services department to houses flooded with sewage.

Nizhnevartovsk, which has regularly appeared in the conflict agenda of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug in recent months, has received a new point of social tension. For several months, residents of a number of new buildings in the city have been unable to solve the problem of sewer flooding.
According to citizens, appeals to the city administration were unsuccessful – “the mayor’s office’s replies indicate that work is underway and the water level in the basement is decreasing.”

“The problem is not being solved, despite regular pumping of the sewerage by the management company. There are drains in the basement, there is a foul smell, there are midges and mosquitoes. All residents were bitten. It is difficult to say what caused such a flood, since this did not happen last year. We have already written to all authorities, but there is no result,” – a representative of the initiative group of residents of building No. 47 on Rabochaya Street voices the problem Tatiana Dedukhno.


It is noteworthy that the visit of ONF experts to the site revealed a problem in two more recently commissioned apartment buildings – building No. 2 and No. 2A on Osennaya Street. As it turned out, the developer put the houses into operation 4 years ago with a so-called temporary drainage solution. The needs of almost 200 families are met by a regular household pump.

“When looking at archival documents, it turned out that the developer of the project was supposed to build two temporary pumping stations before putting the houses into operation, and then a permanent pumping station. The developer was declared bankrupt; he did not even have time to complete the construction of temporary sewerage and pumping stations. A well was made at this place and a submersible pump was installed, which pumped out all the wastewater.”– the chief specialist of the engineering department of the housing and communal services department of the city administration tried to explain the cause of the flooding Elvin Kuliev.

This response from the official did not satisfy either citizens or members of the public. City housing and communal services managers, apparently, learned that the house was commissioned without a connection to the central sewerage system a year ago, but have still not taken any action. Moreover, residents of houses regularly pay Nizhnevartovsk Utility Networks LLC (NKS) for a service that they do not actually receive.

It is noteworthy that after the houses were put into operation, the completed sewage pumping station and pressure sewer pipeline were to be handed over to the NCS. Considering that the object is not completed, these manipulations could only occur after the object becomes municipal property.

“In 2023, the municipality accepted this temporary structure on its balance sheet and has still not done anything to ensure that a capital utility facility appears here. Representatives of the Department of Housing and Public Utilities say that they are looking into the problem, but there is no result. The sewage system has been pumping out of the basements for several days, but they are filling up again. All requests from citizens receive replies. In October, as a rule, there are the first frosts. And all this will freeze. Today the authorities say that the issue will be raised to put the construction of a capital water pumping station in the financial plan, but why was this not done earlier? I would suggest that the people in charge at City Hall be moved into these houses until this is all over,” – said a member of the regional headquarters of the ONF in Ugra Vladimir Zinoviev.

Meanwhile, the meeting participants were even more surprised by the fact that houses were put into operation without being connected to the central sewerage system. As observers say, both residents and social activists are at a loss.

The administration traditionally responded that this was not their authority, and the Housing Supervision Authority was in charge of accepting the house. On the one hand, today, of course, there are big questions for the service, how they were able to issue a conclusion for commissioning. On the other hand, the responsibilities for the safe residence of citizens and the life support of the housing stock still lie with the local authorities and, in particular, with the housing and communal services department. In all likelihood, officials will now have to answer all ignored questions from citizens to prosecutors.”– eyewitnesses of the dialogue believe.

The story of the flooding of houses in Nizhnevartovsk, according to observers, has become another illustration in the list of failures of the team of the mayor of Nizhnevartovsk Dmitry Koshchenko. Now any sphere of a municipality’s life is becoming “a headache not only for regional authorities,” but also the subject of thorough inspections by control and supervisory authorities.

Nizhnevartovsk is probably the only municipality that will not fulfill the plan for commissioning new housing this year. Plus, the picture of an incompetent government is complemented by failures in the construction of social and sports facilities. The readiness of the Ski Sports Center with a biathlon shooting range, which has been promoted by officials, is a big question, as is the completion of the Martial Arts Center. Speeches by officials about the successful completion of the reclamation of the Kommunalnik landfill also turned out to be a fiction. The preparation of schools for the new school year also turned out to be unsuccessful for the mayor’s office. There are still no assessments of what is happening from Mayor Dmitry Koshchenko,” – industry experts summarize.
Melissa “Mel” Carter
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