Environmental activists demand end to Tuul River related violations
The Save Our Queen Tuul River National Movement submitted a demand to the Minister of Environment, Green Development and Tourism to take action against companies illegally mining near Tuul River.
Head of the Save Our Queen Tuul River National Movement B.Jagar suspects corruption at the Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum (DMRP), formerly known as the Mineral Resources Authority.
“The previous minister and associated officials violated the law by issuing licenses to exloit and explore near the Tuul River basin. The DMRP and other authorities permitted gravel miners to build buildings in Tuul River protection zones. The DMRP and Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism (MEGDT) are making decisions that even exceed the power of Parliament resolutions. This is a matter of corruption and violation of the law,” B.Jagar said. He reminded that the ministry must follow the law.
B.Jagar stated that the 718-kilometer-long Tuul River is public property, which supplies 90 percent of the drinking water consumed by residents of Ulaanbaatar.
“A certain group of people and business oligarchies have privatized dozens of hectares of public property. The property of all Mongolians has been transferred to the ownership of few companies. Our movement wants to rid them of this authority.”
The Save Our Queen Tuul River National Movement impended to report organizations with connection to powerful people and disclose the names of employees at MEGDT who extended licenses of these organizations.
The movement has been fighting against corruption and illegal activities related to Tuul River for the past 10 years. The last time the organization addressed this issue was in April 2016 when it submitted a letter demanding the government and Parliament to pay more attention to Tuul River and cancel licenses permitting mineral exploration alongside the river. At the time, activists claimed that Tuul River dried up in several areas extending to up to three kilometers and that the water level dropped significantly due to industrial waste from factories built alongside the river, resulting in a significant drop in water levels and even causing some areas to dry up.
The Ulaanbaatar Department of Environment and Green Development responded in late April 2016 that a total of 203 exploration licenses had been issued near Tuul River basins across Ulaanbaatar and that not a single company was licensed to explore or mine in Tuul River protection zones.
Head of the department Kh.Marat explained that the drying up of Tuul River was related to the rising water consumption of residents in Ulaanbaatar.