Kuvasoy governor's destruction of green park sparks legal and environmental controversy

In Kuvasoy, nearly 300 trees in a green public park were uprooted under the initiative of the city governor, Zafar Turakulov, who claimed they were being "relocated." However, the governor’s plan to build an apartment buildings on the site violates government regulations. The land, which was converted into farmland, had originally been designated as a green public park in accordance with a presidential decree.

The poor's mischief is a crime...

Here are three cases that illustrate how ordinary citizens—those who are not governors or officials—were held accountable for environmental damage:

1) The "goat incident" in the Tomdi district of the Navoi region is still fresh in people's minds. In this case, environmental officials fined a citizen 1.65 million UZS after his goat ate the leaves of a young sapling.

2) A 62-year-old citizen from the Fergana district cut down a poplar tree that he had nurtured for 25 years. He had started construction on it two years ago. After cutting it down, he chopped it into firewood and donated it to a kindergarten.

The district's environmental department imposed a fine of 9.375 million UZS on the citizen, which is 25 times the base calculation unit (BCU). Dissatisfied with the fine, the citizen, Kh.K., appealed to the court. In his appeal, he stated that he had no stable source of income, was the sole breadwinner for his family, and did not intentionally commit the offense.

In a ruling on February 18, 2025, the Fergana district court reduced the fine to 1.125 million UZS, which is 3 times the BCU.

3) U.S., a resident of the Kuva district, planted 600 paulownia trees on land allocated to him by the governor. However, 140 of these trees dried up. The Kuva district's environmental department fined him 10 times the BCU for the dead trees. This fine was later reduced to 1 time the BCU following a court ruling. (Court decisions for the two cases above are available on Kun.uz.)

The rich's crime – mischief

In front of the Kuvasoy city prosecutor's office, hundreds of trees were uprooted on the personal initiative of city governor Zafar Turakulov, who claimed the trees were being "relocated." The fate of these trees, allegedly "transferred to cemeteries," remains unknown.

No approval was obtained from the environmental authorities for relocating these trees. This was confirmed by Bahrom Jumanov, head of the Fergana region's Ecology Department. However, governor Turakulov claimed that verbal (!) permission was given by the city’s ecology department before the trees were uprooted.

The area where the trees were removed was originally designated as a green public park.

The area in question, located in the Huvaydo neighborhood of the city, had been established as a green public park following the directive of the president’s decree on September 11, 2023.

This same area was officially designated a green public park by Turakulov’s decree on October 18, 2023.

On October 12, 2023, Fergana region governor Khayrullo Bozorov issued a decree granting approval for the establishment of five green public parks in four districts of the region: Altyaryk, Besharyk, Dangara, and the city of Kuvasoy.

The establishment of these green public parks was planned to be financed through additional local budget resources, sponsorships, and grant funds.

However, the green public park was openly destroyed by governor Zafar Turakulov in broad daylight, with the trees being uprooted right before the public’s eyes.

The governor’s dismissive response

Following an investigation by Kun.uz, the Kuvasoy city governor’s office issued an official statement. The statement referred to the green public park, which had been created, as "neglected" and indicated that a major project was underway in the area where the trees had been uprooted.

"Currently, the vacant land in the Huvaydo neighborhood is being redeveloped, with plans to construct six multi-story residential buildings (150 apartments each), service facilities, entertainment venues aimed at fostering domestic tourism, and 24/7 retail-service kiosks," the statement read.

More than 150 billion UZS is expected to be allocated for this project, sourced from private entrepreneurs and bank loans.

The project also includes plans to concrete the banks of the "Besholish" canal, establish a "green public park," construct children's and sports playgrounds, plant over 2,000 valuable tree saplings to replace the old juniper trees, provide housing for residents, and, most importantly, create over 250 high-income jobs.

The governor’s office further assured that the trees were being relocated with specialized equipment, and all necessary agricultural practices to ensure their survival were being strictly followed.

The project contradicts government decree

From the official statement, it appears that the governor’s office intends to justify the destruction of part of the green public park by claiming that only a small corner (2 hectares) will remain designated as a park, while the rest of the area will be used for construction apartment buildings. But is this legal?

According to previous decisions made by the Fergana region and Kuvasoy city governors, the area designated as a green public park in the Huvaydo neighborhood was officially set at 2 hectares. This means that this area is considered the green public park as per the documents. According to a decree from the Cabinet of Ministers issued on September 27, 2022, regarding the creation of "green parks" and "green public parks," the construction of buildings, industrial facilities, or attractions within such parks is strictly prohibited, regardless of the managing department.

What will the green public parks be like?

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a regulation on "Green Public Parks," which defines their status, purpose, key tasks, and the procedures for their establishment and operation.

According to the regulation, green public parks are prohibited from having buildings, industrial or non-industrial facilities, including attractions. Instead, they will feature tree groves and shrubbery designed for public walks and leisure.

The primary goals of green public parks are:

• To create sufficient spaces for the public to enjoy outdoor activities in harmony with nature;
• To provide areas for outdoor reading, playing games such as chess and checkers, and other recreational activities;
• To preserve and enrich the local plant life;
• To support scientific research focused on maintaining environmental cleanliness and increasing green spaces;
• To develop cultural and educational activities related to ecology and education in residential areas;
• To protect and breed decorative birds and animals within the park;
• To monitor plant diseases and pests and take action against them;
• To ensure the ecological cleanliness and stability of the area.

Green public parks are not considered legal entities, and access to them will be free. These parks are typically located in underdeveloped or vacant areas within populated areas. If no such spaces are available, they will be placed in garden-park or tree grove territories, with a minimum size of 0.5 hectares.

However, Kuvasoy city governor Zafar Turakulov has ignored the requirements set by the Cabinet of Ministers and plans to build six residential apartment buildings, service facilities, and 24/7 retail-service kiosks in the green public park area. It is unclear where he got this idea or what inspired him.

The governor’s lack of confidence in his own project

Governor Zafar Turakulov referred to the proposed project in the park—where trees were uprooted—as a "dead-end project."

"If we try to turn it into a beautiful tourist attraction, it ends up ruining the vibe," he said. "There hasn't been a new apartment buildings built in Kuvasoy for 40 years. There’s no interest here. I even had to personally ask the developer to go ahead with it."

"My goal was simply to create something nice to attract tourists. But frankly, this project is a ‘dead-end project,’" Turakulov added.

If the project is truly a "dead-end project," then it raises the question: why uproot hundreds of trees for it?

The region’s "triumvirate" is aware of these actions

Zafar Turakulov, stating “I’m not doing this on my own,” suggested that the regional authorities were also informed about the situation. There’s truth to his claim: the governor of Fergana region, Khayrullo Bozorov, was aware of the construction plans involving residential buildings and other structures in the green public park area.

Specifically, the regional government’s information service reported that on January 13 of this year, governor Khayrullo Bozorov visited Kuvasoy city to inspect the project planned for the location of the green public park. He was accompanied by the regional prosecutor and the head of the local Interior Ministry department.

The visit by the "triumvirate" of regional authorities was covered by local television. The footage clearly shows that, at the time, the trees that were originally part of the park were still in place. How could the fate of these trees not have raised concerns among the regional leadership?

The situation is being investigated by the prosecutor's office

Kun.uz reached out to the General Prosecutor’s Office for comment. According to the press secretary of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Hayot Shamsutdinov, the case is currently under investigation by the prosecution authorities.

The governor's actions could fall under Article 198, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. According to this provision, the illegal cutting of forests, trees, or other plants—if it results in significant harm—could lead to a fine of 100 to 150 times the BCU, 240 to 300 hours of community service, 1 to 2 years of correctional labor, or imprisonment for 1 to 3 years, or a prison sentence of up to 3 years.

What measures will be taken?

By a decree of the president, a moratorium has been indefinitely extended on the cutting of trees and shrubs that are not part of the state forestry fund, particularly those of valuable species. Moreover, it is strictly prohibited to issue government orders, proclamations, written instructions, departmental documents, or governors' decrees that involve the cutting, uprooting, damaging, or destruction of trees and shrubs.

However, it seems that these regulations do not apply to Fergana. If they did, the regional governor, prosecutor, and head of the Interior Ministry would not have ignored the widespread destruction of trees, and Zafar Turakulov would not have found the resolve to wipe out the green public park.

The governor of Kuvasoy must be held criminally accountable for his actions. If this issue is allowed to be swept under the rug, it could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging others to destroy increasingly endangered trees, making it harder to protect them in the future.