By Maksud Zainabidinov
Osh city residents have never seen massive structures since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Osh has very poor infrastructure because of its narrow roads and low-rise buildings. But, it seems the city will be transformed into a well-designed, modern and cozy place to live within fifteen years. According to the for.kg, in early February the president of Kyrgyzstan Kyrmanbek Bakiev demanded officials to work out the Osh City Reconstruction Plan within “30 days.”
“Due to the rising population, it is more than important to build multistory apartments and wide roads” says one resident. The reconstruction of the city is necessary both economically and socially. The increasing population and traffic has created many difficulties. The new city infrastructure is also a needful because of the expecting stream of travelers to Suleiman Mountain, which has recently been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The first steps to organize the city were taken last year when the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Defense were moved to Osh. According to the Osh city general plan, the city has not been reconstructed since 1985. During the last 25 years, officials just tried to keep the city clean. But, after the new city mayor Melisbek Akmatbekov took office, new parks and sidewalks started to appear and all cafes and buildings once built in restricted areas along the streets have been replaced or erased altogether in order to widen traffic roads.
However, efforts have been taken by the new mayor to design the city have raised many contradictions among the city officials and business owners. Owners claim that cafes and other business staff along the streets were built by the permission of the former city mayor. But the city officials say that the buildings were constructed in banned areas that had tightened traffic roads.
On the other hand, it is very interesting that a project will be designed by specialists within the next 30 days. It seems 30 days is a very short time to make a qualitative city plan. But, residents still do hope that the project will be very beneficial if the money is really used for the public welfare.
Posted on April 20, 2010
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