False Reporting: Over One Million Unplanted Saplings Falsely Recorded as Planted
The Prosecutor General’s Office has uncovered several cases of fraud under the nationwide Green Space project in Uzbekistan. According to the investigation, there were 541 instances where reports falsely claimed that over one million saplings had been planted when they were not actually planted. Additionally, in 441 cases, 580 thousand saplings were planted in areas without irrigation systems.
In response to these findings, a resolution by the Cabinet of Ministers was passed to protect and expand green spaces, gardens, and belts during the spring season of 2024. This initiative aims to fulfill the goals set out in the presidential decree from December 30, 2021, which focused on accelerating the greening of the country and improving tree protection.
During the spring season, a total of 139 million trees and shrubs were planted and recorded on the electronic platform. The monitoring of the Green Space project and the enforcement of the moratorium on tree felling were also highlighted in the resolution.
Various cases of wrongdoing were identified, including the false reporting of planted saplings, planting in areas without proper irrigation, and instances of delivered saplings perishing due to delays in planting. Additionally, there were 7,232 cases of illegal tree felling, resulting in a requirement to plant 100 saplings for each tree destroyed as compensation.
Specific locations, such as the park of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the “Darkhan” scientific experimental farm, and state forest enterprises, were closely monitored. In total, 50 thousand saplings were planted in these areas to restore and enhance the green spaces.
The government is taking proactive measures to address these issues and ensure the successful implementation of the Green Space project for the benefit of the environment and the people of Uzbekistan.
