In July of this year, as part of a trekking program in the Northern Elbrus region, my friends and I visited a place near the village of Kamennomostskoye at the foot of the Dzhinalsky ridge in the Zolsky district of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, where the lakes Shadkhurei - Bolshoe and Maloe are located. The lakes are part of the tourist cluster of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and are a tourist attraction, as well as a favorite vacation spot.
There is a legend about the origin of the lakes. Three brothers, who lived on these beautiful lands a long time ago, could not divide them among themselves. Bloody feuds began, for which the heavens punished the greedy people - the earth opened up and swallowed the brothers. And in the place where the tragedy occurred, three lakes were formed.
It is known not only from the legend that there were three lakes before. One of them is now considered dry. But this is a natural process, because the lakes Shadkhurei are of karst origin. Under them in the ground there are rocks in which water breaks through channels, creating a chain of underground rivers and lakes that connect with each other. The water of a karst lake can suddenly go underground, leaving only silt. However, after some time, the contents return to their place again. It is all the more important to keep the basin of the departed lake clean.
In the 21st century, as in the old legend, trouble came to these places. Consumers, not thinking about the fact that everything in ecosystems is interconnected, turned the shallow karst lake into a dump for construction, household waste and livestock waste.
Environmental activists loudly declared an ecological disaster in 2010-2015, after which the media published reports on the liquidation of the dump: The territory of the Shadkhurei karst lakes was cleared of garbage again.
It is even more frightening to see what we have recorded in photographs today. Inspecting the site of the ecological disaster, we immediately thought about technical (mechanical and chemical) ways to eliminate the unauthorized dump, clean the lake basin and its shores. We discussed the possibility of seeking professional help from a company that deals with the treatment of industrial wastewater (Water technologies - EnviroChemie). Pollution will undoubtedly lead to the extinction of rare species of birds and other animals, poison groundwater, and threaten the existence of the lakes that have survived to this day - Bolshoi and Maly Shadkhurei.
Without legal protection of the territory, it is useless to clean up an unauthorized dump, because tomorrow trucks will come again and fill the territory with garbage again. This area is ideal not for a dump, but for walking, where you can talk about a unique place, its geology and ecosystems, teaching people to take care of nature. After cleaning, you can build a boardwalk near the lake, a bird watching tower, attract wildlife enthusiasts, local residents and the local administration to protect the entire system of three legendary lakes and the adjacent territory. You can increase the planting of walnut trees by creating a forest belt around the third lake, which will have a beneficial effect on the restoration of the ecosystem.
However, before all these actions, it is necessary to raise the question of the reasons for the failure of the local government to fulfill its obligations to organize the collection and removal of household waste and garbage from the territory of the Zolsky district, which over a long period of time leads to the violation of the rights of an indefinite number of people to a favorable environment.
Let me remind you that Article 3 of Federal Law No. 7 "On Environmental Protection" imposes responsibility for the improper provision of a favorable environment and environmental safety on state authorities of the Russian Federation, bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and local government bodies. In connection with this, we have prepared a complaint to the prosecutor's office of the Russian Federation with a demand to go to court with a claim for imposing the obligation to eliminate the unauthorized dump. After all, this is part of the state policy within the framework of the National Projects, these are the tasks set by the President of Russia V.V. Putin, and the deadline for their implementation is set until the end of this year.
It is necessary to unite as soon as possible and systematically solve the described problem in order to eliminate the threat to the natural environment and people. Plans for national and federal projects should not remain only on paper.
We will be grateful for your suggestions and ideas on what measures can be taken to quickly correct the situation, we really hope for your cooperation!
What will happen at the site of the landfill - we decide together!





