Residents of the village of Gulli faced pressure after addressing Fyodor Shchukin.

Law enforcement officials called the recording of a video address to the acting head of Dagestan a violation and issued warnings to the residents of the village of Gulli, who are protesting against the operation of a lime production plant. The plant continues to operate, and floods and rains have only worsened the situation with pollution in the nearby river, the villagers reported.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the residents of the village of Gulli recorded a collective video address to the acting head of Dagestan Fyodor Shchukin and the chairman of the republic's government Magomed Ramazanov, complaining about the lime production plant. They demanded to annul the land lease agreements and close the lime production plant.

The plant continues to operate and dump its waste into the river located further down the slope. Particularly large emissions are observed after rains, a local resident Ruslan told a correspondent from "Caucasian Knot".

A resident of the village Marat confirmed that the plant is currently operational. He told a correspondent from "Caucasian Knot" that during the floods in early April, the plant's equipment was washed away by dozens of meters, and part of it is still scattered across the territory.

"When inspections come, they are apparently warned, and the plant stops working, the employees leave. There are court proceedings, the Dagestan Forestry Committee demands that the land under the plant be transferred to their jurisdiction. The plant causes significant harm to the village's ecology, but local authorities do not respond," says Marat.

We were told that we allegedly held an illegal rally that was not approved by the local administration. They issued a warning and let us go.

Local activist Magomed Gadzhialiev told a correspondent from "Caucasian Knot" that after a gathering of village residents, where about 50 people were present, and a video address was recorded to the Dagestan authorities, several people, including him, were invited to the police station.

"We were told that we allegedly held an illegal rally that was not approved by the local administration. They issued a warning and let us go," says Magomed.

He reported that the Dagestan Forestry Committee initiated a lawsuit against the administration of the Kaytag district and the plant, as the agency considers the land under the plant to be theirs, and the territory was illegally leased by the Kaytag district administration to the lime production plant. The hearing on the case is scheduled for August 10, he clarified.

In the case file on the Kaytag District Court's website, it is indicated that on June 3, 2026, the court session was postponed due to the "involvement of a third party claiming independent demands regarding the subject of the dispute."

With every rain, a white stream goes into the river along with the water.

The plant continues to operate, despite everything, says Magomed Gadzhialiev.

"After the rains in early April, a lot was washed away, the road was eroded. During these floods, part of their waste was washed away. With every rain, a white stream goes into the river along with the water," Magomed reported.

He added that the plant's management knows in advance when inspections are coming, and the workers leave the plant.

"We have an independent expert conclusion about the harmfulness of the plant's emissions. Recently, representatives from Rosrybolovstvo went there to clearly define the protective zone of the river. But they didn't even let our guys in, they didn't want to talk. No one wants to make contact with us. When an official meets informally somewhere, he says: 'Yes, you can close the plant, there are a huge number of violations.' But when you approach a person officially to get a document, he is either on vacation or they can ignore you," says Magomed Gadzhialiev.

He noted that the residents of the village have an initiative group that is engaged in legal actions, and they currently want to achieve a meeting with the acting head of Dagestan Shchukin.

The administration of the Kaytag district declined to comment, stating that there is an ongoing court case regarding this matter.

A lawyer called public discussions mandatory for the construction of such plants.

Lawyer Ali Aliyev told a correspondent from "Caucasian Knot" that for facilities of I category of danger, conducting public discussions is mandatory if the interests of the population are affected. If hearings were not held or were formal in nature, this is a direct violation of the requirements for conducting an environmental impact assessment.

"If the plant is located near water bodies, or its activities affect their condition, then there may be a violation of the requirements of the Water Code of the Russian Federation and sanitary standards, including a ban on discharging pollutants into water bodies without treatment. If the plant's activities have a negative impact on the environment, and a state ecological expertise was not conducted, this is a violation," the lawyer believes, clarifying that it is first necessary to find out whether the plant has the above-mentioned documents and necessary licenses.

In the absence of these, to forcibly stop the plant's activities, one should file a complaint with Rosprirodnadzor, Rospotrebnadzor, and the prosecutor's office demanding an inspection and action to be taken.

Recall that villagers in the Dagestani village of Gulli claim that due to the plant, the water in the rivers has become dirty, and a white coating has appeared on the trees. The district administration confirmed that they legally issued a permit for the construction of the plant. The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, has taken control of the information about the plant built near the Artuzen River in Dagestan, which pollutes the air and water.