Tajikistan (Sangoba): Obsolete Pesticides Cleanup
Tajik Environmental Protection Committee, local administrators.
Sangoba is located in the Khatlon Region, the most densely populated part of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The cleanup of contaminated areas in Sangoba (along with sites in Sherobod and Beshkent) was completed under the supervision of the Committee of Environmental Protection of Tajikistan in January and February 2020.
After conducting Preliminary and Detailed Site Assessments, the remediation plan was prepared. The remediation team removed 13 metric tons of pesticides and contaminated soil in Sangoba, mostly consisting of DDT. The pesticides and contaminated soil were repackaged and transported to the specially designated hazardous waste facility in Vaksh, Tajikistan.
The source of pollution was a former pesticide warehouse, which was destroyed in 2000. Only a part of the wall remained from the building. Near this wall there was a pile of soil and pesticides. There were also several bags with DDT in the south of the rice field.
The residential area grew around the former storage. The nearest houses are located 10 meters away from the contaminated area. There are about 30 people who live in the immediate vicinity, including 20 children. A dry mixture of pesticides and dust is carried by the wind, coming in contact with people. Animals graze on the site. The access to the territory of the former warehouse is open, children often run through and play there. A rice field and irrigation channels are located next to the contaminated area.