Akim of Pavlodar region Asain Baikhanov, following tradition, swam live on Instagram. He showed subscribers how the city beach operates in hot weather and said that even he struggled to find a free sun lounger. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
He also decided to prove to residents that the river water is clean and the recreation conditions are excellent.
According to Baikhanov, talk about pollution of the Irtysh is not true. He explained that the cloudy tint of the water appears due to sand stirred up by the strong current, not pollution.
"The annual water flow in the Irtysh is 32 billion cubic meters. That's about 80 million cubic meters per day. So the current is very strong. The main volume of water forms in the Altai Mountains at the junction of Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. So the water here is good," said the akim.
During the broadcast, Baikhanov showed the river close-up, noting that due to the bright sun he could not always see the phone screen. He also drew attention to the large number of vacationers and admitted that he had to search for a free lounger.
"We have 1,500 loungers here. I walked for a long time, searched and could only find one. I think about ten percent remain free," noted the head of the region.
According to him, the central beach is now fully ready for the summer season. Two piers are equipped for vacationers, one of which is for people with limited mobility, a free children's pool operates, changing cabins and showers are installed. Volunteers also patrol the area to help visitors.
As Baikhanov noted, all infrastructure is in high demand both among residents of Pavlodar and guests who come specifically for Ertis Promenade concerts.
Earlier, Kursiv reported how Kazakhs on social media were surprised not only by the beauty and cleanliness of the Pavlodar beach, but also by the fact that this recreation area has remained free for residents and guests for many years.
Meanwhile, the akim of Pavlodar region has long been famous on social media for his unusual live broadcasts: several years ago, in front of thousands of subscribers, he oversaw the extermination of mosquitoes and midges in the Irtysh floodplain. Another tradition is broadcasts on horseback every January 1.