March 29, employees of the Sayano-Shushensky Reserve and representatives of the Khakassia regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society organized one of the first spring volunteer clean-up actions. They collected garbage along the Joyskaya Sosnovka River. Its pollution affects the condition of the Yenisei and Joy rivers.
The bay of the Joyskaya Sosnovka is a starting point of most routes along the Sayano-Shushenskoye reservoir, a point where floating stations are concentrated; moreover, it is the only place of the reservoir with public access to water. So you can imagine the amount of litter here.
Photo by Svetlana Guzeeva
Tourists and local residents throw garbage everywhere, without thinking about the consequences. After the spring thaw, water levels in rivers and lakes rise, and everything on their banks turns out to be in the water. Thawed trash carried by the current pollutes not only the coastal zone, but also water surface of all surrounding rivers.
Nowadays, a significant part of waste consists of plastic, which it take hundreds of years to biodegrade, sending out a whole "bunch" of toxins. It negatively affects the ecology of the nearby area and has a negative impact on people's health.
The Russian Geographical Society together with employees of the Sayano-Shushensky Reserve and Sayan Reservoir Management Department regularly conducts joint environmental events. This one, “Pure Ice”, allowed to collect 40 bags of garbage.
The event organizers are urging everyone to think about the future and put waste only into specially designated bins.