YEKATERINBURG, October 1. /TASS/. The local administration of the Yamalo-Nenets Region’s Priuralsky District, non-governmental organizations and volunteers participated in a project to clean areas around five villages, the Yamal Union of Reindeer Herders’ Executive Director Timur Akchurin told TASS.
"The project, dubbed ‘Thank you for the clean tundra,’ is an opportunity to highlight the ecology problems, to care for the Arctic’s fragile nature, its flora and fauna," he said. "This year, we have cleaned up areas near villages Aksarka, Beloyarsk, Kharsaim, Katravozh and Kharp — they are in the Priuralksy District."
Over the project’s five years, about 1,000 tonnes of scrap have been collected on Yamal, he added. Most scrap is household waste, but recently the share of construction waste has been growing. "Deer may hurt legs, or may get poisoned with chemical substances," he continued. "Plus, the waste covers the soil and would not let some plants grow."
This year, he said in conclusion, the project was supported in Russia’s other Arctic regions. "We have sent letters asking all Arctic regions to follow our initiative, and everyone has agreed," he said. "For example, the Krasnoyarsk Region has organized events to preserve reindeer, and Vorkuta’s students have set up cleaning teams."