Today, the president Mirziyoyev signed Urgent steps to improve the environmental situation in the capital Decree. The decree has formed a commission to implement urgent steps to improve the environmental situation in Tashkent.

The commission is expected to be tasked with developing specific steps and coordinating their implementation in such areas as air quality in the capital, preserving and expanding green areas, reducing harmful substances emitted from transport, and strengthening compliance with environmental requirements in the activities of industrial enterprises.

The commission will be entitled to temporarily suspend or terminate the activities of greenhouses and other facilities that burn substances that negatively affect atmospheric air quality.

The commission shall organize the implementation of previously adopted decrees, resolutions, and instructions, including monitoring the implementation of legislative requirements for the installation of filters at industrial and manufacturing enterprises.

The Ecology Committee is tasked with strengthening air quality monitoring and constantly monitoring the level of pollution in Tashkent.

For this purpose, it is planned to connect all monitoring stations in the hydrometeorological service system to the Air Monitoring Uzbekistan platform, including newly installed automatic posts.

A special laboratory will be set up specializing in identifying sources of atmospheric air pollution with fine particles such as PM2.5.

It will conduct analyses, including using space images, modern measuring equipment and modeling technologies, and will serve as a scientific basis for environmental decisions being made.

Uzbekistan will approve a national advisory indexation of air quality figures based on World Health Organization recommendations (green, yellow, red, and brown).

The Ministry of Health and the Committee on Ecology have been tasked with drafting the indexation by December 1.

Based on the indexation, recommendations for reducing the harm of polluted air, such as wearing masks, will also be drafted.

Furthermore, an early warning system will be implemented by the sanitary service in cases of major air quality in.

All greenhouses in Tashkent and the surrounding area must be converted to natural gas heating as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Energy has been instructed to enter into contracts with greenhouse farms for gas supply within a week and ensure an uninterrupted supply.

Fines for violations of environmental regulations related to malfunctioning or missing dust and gas cleaning equipment in greenhouses over 200 sqms will be increased fivefold for legal entities and threefold for individuals.

Burning fuel, materials, and waste (tires, bitumen, fuel oil, used motor oil, film, rubber, wool, etc.) in such greenhouses will result in criminal liability and confiscation of the greenhouse in favor of the state.

In Tashkent, restrictions on watering trees and other plants with drinking water on plots owned by individuals and legal entities in the spring and summer have now been lifted.

Until now, watering was only permitted between midnight and 5:00 AM.

The ban on using drinking water for other purposes remains in effect.

Water tanks will be installed near apartment buildings for watering plants.

Uzbekistan has expanded the list of environmental equipment exempt from customs duties.

According to the document, the following items are exempt from customs duties upon import:

• equipment and devices for specialized environmental laboratories (HS Code 9027);
• automated small monitoring stations (HS Code 9027);
• automated emission control stations (HS Code 9027);
• automated observation posts (HS Code 9027);
• dust and gas cleaning units (HS Code 8421);
• local water treatment plants (HS Code 8421);
• household air purifiers imported by individuals and entrepreneurs (HS Code 8509 80).

The duty exemption should make household air purifiers more affordable amid the deteriorating environmental situation in Tashkent and other cities. Currently, a 20% duty is imposed on the import of air purifiers, but no less than $3 per unit. However, air quality monitoring equipment and dust and gas cleaning units (HS Code 9027 and 8421) are already duty-free.

In Tashkent, special steps have been established to reduce the volume of harmful substances emitted by motor vehicles.

To this end, the Uzavtosanoat Joint-Stock Company and relevant departments are tasked with establishing a trade-in system for the gradual renewal of vehicles used in Tashkent that do not meet environmental standards and were manufactured before 2010.