Threatened mires and
peatlands of the world
Kazanka wetland in Danger
Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan Republic and the host city of Universiade-2013.
Kazanka – is the affluent of Volga river, that flows across the
city and with its vegetated coasts and islets, covered by fields of
reed and reed mace, plays the role of city’s ecological carcass.
Besides that Kazanka is the symbol of Kazan as well as Kazan Kremlin.
And now Kazanka is in extreme danger!
Construction of the Universiade-2013 (World Student Games) sport
objects in Kazan on the parts of the Kazanka River water area, at the
coastal and island sites being areals for rare plant and animal
species, violates the current legislation of the Russian Federation, as
well as prevents the Russian Federation from performing the
country’s 2019 obligation envisaged by the Convention on
Biological Diversity.
In line of Kazan in a coastal zone of the river Kazanka on islands
above the Bridge Millennium and the Derbyshky district’s railway
bridge are located habitats of disappearing valuable kinds of animals
and the plants brought in the "Red Book" of Republic Tatarstan. For
example, fauna: Mustela enninea Linnaeus, Circus cyaneus; Nepa cinerea Linnaeus; Myotis daubentoni Kuhl; Nymphalis antiopa Linnaeus and flora: Iris pseudacorus L.; Listera ovata (L.) R. Br.; Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soo; Iris sibirica L.; Hierochloe odorata (L.) Beauv.; Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm. Ex Bernh.) Schult.
City public organisations conduct long-term work on monitoring and
cleanliness maintenance on these sites. Twice the city council included
a question on creation of the city Landscape park "Islets of Kazanka"
with the status especially protected natural territory in the program
of the city environment. But the problem has not been solved till now,
in spite of the fact that:
- In 2002 the conclusion of the public ecological examination has been prepared,
- On the basis of Ministry of ecology of Tatarstan republic has
been organized city scientifically-practical conference with
participation of representatives of state and public organisations
(2007),
- The concept of the specified park was prepared and get the
approval on The second All-Russia conference on the wildlife management
which passed in Moscow (2007),
- Authors of the concert have won competition on a newspaper prize
"The East Express" for the best offer to the 1000 anniversary of a city
of Kazan,
- The question on park borders was discussed with representatives
of city’s administration, architects, including the American
designers of Coastal zone building,
- Materials were repeatedly published in the press, pickets were
carried out and research works of young scientists and students
were performed;
- Repeatedly, since 1997 specific proposals have been sent to all conceivable instances,
- The city general plan assumed creation of the specified park.
As a result it became possible to correct platforms of three objects,
to include the area of natural and recreational zones in the general
plan of the city.
But here all has stopped. The city authorities for 20 years have not
found money on work on arrangement of valuable natural objects in the
city boundaries (the only thing that has been done is a City’s
water objects certification).
The further delaying with the question of the city landscape park
"Islets of Kazanka" creation will lead to loss of the most valuable
natural sites the part of which is sharply necessary even for
recreational purposes.
Ecological infringements and crimes can be admitted at a choice of
platforms for objects of the Universiade-2013 and the possibility of
creation of the ecological carcass of a city going to be completely
lost, as well as the ability of Kazanka river to self-clean, depending
on preservations of fields of reed and reed mace on shoal. Besides
that, engineering preparation of territory in this area is extremely
expensive in comparison, for example, with a site of the former airport.
On July, 6th twelve old-age oaks have been illegally cut down. Cutting
trees down is going on as well as washing in sand on the valuable
territories.
The only people who try to protect Kazanka river with its species are 2
well-known environmental specialists and nearly 10 students. The most
of Kazan inhabitants are indifferent. Maybe because of the very poor
knowledge of ecology. The local government doesn't think of the
sustainable development either.
But does sport have any real value if for its purposes nature is
destroyed? Nature, which is the basic of good health and so - of sport
abilities and achievements. I think we don't need such kind of sport.
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to their best knowledge. However, we request everybody who disagrees
with the information on this site to contact the IMCG secretariat.
www.imcg.net last
update 12-07-2009