The President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikanov: "We possess huge water resource. Water is the basis of our economy”. The exhibition "Clean water. Kazan" opened in Kazan.

"Water is life. We are nothing without water. As for our Republic, comparing to our neighbors we are leaders when it comes to water. And, of course, water is the basis of our economy, and it is the basis of recreation”. These were the words with which the President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, started the VII specialized exhibition and congress "Clean water. Kazan". He acknowledged that great attention in the Republic is paid to the matters of nature protection, and he emphasized that significant place will be occupied by water protection areas within the next year - the Year of Ecology. The President expressed his gratitude to the Acting Head of the Federal Water Resources Agency, Vadim Nikanorov, for successfully implemented joint projects. "We, in the Federal Water Resources Agency, knew with great pleasure that Rustam Nurgalievich announced the year 2016 as the Year of Water Protection Areas in the Republic of Tatarstan", informed Vadim Nikanorov. - "And with great pleasure we supported his initiative". We have a huge federal plan concerning implementation of trends related to the Year of Ecology. There is a similar plan in the Republic. I am sure that after implementing all the provisions of this plan we will move to the next level of management of both water resources and the ecology of the Republic in general. So, we will set an example for the future generations. In all the plans that we have seen so far in Tatarstan, great attention is paid to the work with pupils, students and young people". The opening ceremony included the Head of the Lower Volga Basin Water Management under the Federal Water Resources Agency, Anatoly Bykov, the Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, Farid Abdulganiev, the Minister for Construction, Architecture and Public Utilities of the Republic of Tatarstan, Irek Fayzullin, and the Head of the Executive Committee Denis Kalinkin. The guests familiarized with the expositions presented at the exhibition. The stand of the Ministry of Ecology featured the main trends of work during the Year of water protection areas. The Minister for Ecology of Tatarstan, Farid Abdulganiev, noted that during supervisory activities in 2016, inspectors of the Ministry revealed 6,818 violations and collected about 35 million rubles (29 million rubles were collected for the analogous period last year). A total of 21 criminal cases were initiated based on the Ministry's materials, which by 2 times exceeds the last-year figures. Goal-oriented work regarding the facts of restricted access to the water bodies was carried out during the Year of protection areas. A total of 276 facilities restricting access to the water bodies have been demolished on the territory of the entire Republic. All in all, this year 1,599 violations of the water protection legislation have been revealed, which by 3 times exceeds the last-year figures, informed Farid Abdulganiev. All that, according to the Minister, is possible owing to the purchased equipment, machinery and enhanced work of the state inspectors of the Ministry; moreover, the amount of on-site visits has also increased by 4 times this year. The State Inspector of the Ministry of Ecology Anna Apaeva familiarized the guests of the exhibition with the Center of Public Inspectors which includes more than 200 people. A total of 30% of administrative materials on violations of the nature protection legislation were elaborated with the help of public inspectors. The Center is equipped with all the necessary equipment and machinery: satellite geodesic receivers, bicycles, tablets, and this year the Ministry also purchased a motor boat and a "Gazel" vehicle for public inspectors. The matters regarding protection and rational use of water facilities and adjacent territories were discussed today during the congress "Clean water. Kazan". The program of the congress includes several specialized events: a plenary sitting, topical round tables, business meetings with the companies of the Republic of Tatarstan. It included representatives of the federal and regional legislative and executive authorities, industrial companies, public organizations, representatives of scientific and business circles. A plenary sitting was held today named "Management of water resources", as well as Round Table No. 1 on "Assurance of ecological safety of water resources. Protection of water facilities" organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Lower Volga Basin Water Management, the Federal State Institution "Sredvolgavodkhoz". The work of the congress will be continued tomorrow with Round table No. 2 on "Modern technologies and equipment for preparation of water, purification of drains, protection and rational use of water resources" organized by the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Public Utilities of the Republic of Tatarstan. Moreover, business meetings "The hour of the leading specialist" with Chief engineers, technical specialists and ecological specialists of companies and enterprises of the water economic complex of the Republic of Tatarstan will be held on November 24th. These include business negotiations, building of prospective partner bridges and conclusion of business contracts among representatives of Russian companies (participants of the exhibition) and companies of the Republic of Tatarstan (moderators). The congress and exhibition were organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Public Utilities of the Republic of Tatarstan under the aegis of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Federal State Budgetary Institution for water economy "Sredvolgavodkhoz", and "Kazan Fair" OJSC. Joint holding of the exhibition and congress "Clean water. Kazan" allows its participants to share practical experience, combine demonstration of advanced technologies with the discussion of the main issues of the field, emphasize the problems regarding water resources, and attract public attention, as well as attention of representatives ofstate and commercial structures to the rational use of water resources and the problems of the ecological situation in this area. The companies from Kazan, the Republic of Tatarstan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Kaluga district featuring a wide spectrum of various equipment and services for development, designing, production, installation, servicing, and technical maintenance of purification facilities; products for water isolation, the equipment for transportation and treatment of water: vertical and horizontal, sewerage pump stations, materials for water preparation and treatment, for the production of drainage and other water-diversion systems, the equipment for fountains, aeration, water purification in ponds, as well as for fish breeding and so on participate in the exhibition. Press Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan