Governor of Chelyabinsk Region set up a special committee responsible for managing the drain area of Shershnevskoye Pond. The spokesperson for the Governor reports the committee will have to make sure all the environmental, economic, and social factors are taken into account when buildings are put up in the vicinity of the pond; the committee, chaired by Deputy Governor Vladimir Dyatlov, will also be in charge of approving of the city planning papers as far as this territory is concerned.

Shershnevskoye Pond is Chelyabinsk and its satellites’ only source of drinking water. The regional authorities spend 1.5 million RUR a year on chemical and microbiological lab tests. It appears that the main reason why the pond is getting contaminated is putting up buildings nearby without complying with the environmental regulations. As a result, various pollutants are collected from the drain area and manufacturing water is dumped from Sosnovskiye water treatment facilities. To make matters worse, local dacha communities such as Medik, Zarechie, and Vishneviy as well as villages like Shershni, Butaki, and AMZ are damaging the pond’s ecosystem. Besides, the quality of water is affected by the manufacturing water dumped into the River Serazak that flows into the pond.