November 25, 2004, Moscow. Today Greenpeace Russia called on the
Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) Mr. Carlos Magarinos to give an official
explanation of the UNIDO's participation in the illegal
construction of Yumaguzinsk reservoir.
Yumaguzinsk reservoir's construction is carried out with severe
violations of the Russian legislation. It resulted in a serious
damage to unique natural complexes - coniferous and deciduous
mountain forests of the South Urals preserves in the Belaya River's
valley.
According to Bashinfo information agency, in the city of Ufa the
seminar on competitive strategies and programs was organized, where
the UNIDO representatives took part. The Prime Minister of the
Republic of Bashkortostan Mr. Baidavletov said that they
"contributed a lot to the realization of the project of Yumaguzinsk
reservoir and a hydroelectric power station's construction -
representatives of UNESCO, Greenpeace and other organizations also
took part in this work".
"We think that these statements of Bashkortostan top authorities
are the attempt to decline responsibility for destructive
consequences of the reservoir's construction and to make
international organizations partly responsible", - said Mikhail
Kreindlin from Greenpeace Russia forest campaign.
Greenpeace Russia experts have many times participated in
examinations of legality of Yumaguzinsk reservoir's construction,
carried out by various state bodies. Most of them revealed
violations of the existing legislation during the reservoir's
construction.
As a result of the illegal construction of the Yumaguzinsk
reservoir the UNESCO World Heritage Committee refused to consider
the South Urals as a nomination to be included in the World
Heritage List.
Additional information
After Greenpeace Russia statement, the General Prosecutor's
Office of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case on the
illegal construction. The criminal case was closed due to formal
reasons, though the General Prosecutor's Office officially found
elements of crime in the actions of officials of Bashkortostan
Republic.
According to the information we have, negative processes caused
by the construction of the reservoir, that various non-governmental
organizations had reported about long ago, can already be seen:
there were cases of water leakages from the Yumaguzinsk reservoir
to the adjoining Nugushsk reservoir; the quality of water in wells
of the neighbouring villages has become worse.