Residents of Dagestan villages complained about the acrid smoke from the landfill.
The acrid smoke from the burning landfill is heading towards the village of Karlanyurt in the Khasavyurt district, and repeated appeals to officials have not led to a solution to the problem, local residents complained on social media.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", residents of various settlements in Dagestan have repeatedly complained about unsanitary conditions from landfills and the acrid smoke spreading from them due to fires and arson. For instance, on June 20, 2023, residents of Novy Agachul, Stary Agachul, Novy Paraul, and Novy Khushet complained that they suffer from smoke from the landfill near Makhachkala, which the court recognized as illegal. On November 27, 2025, residents of Makhachkala and Kaspiysk complained about smoke and soot from burning landfills, but the authorities assured that no landfill in Dagestan is on fire, and the air in Makhachkala is fine.
Journalist Murad Magomedov previously noted in his Telegram channel that according to people's accounts, municipal employees deliberately set fire to illegal landfills, thus disposing of waste. "Shamil district, Karabudakhkent district, Gumbet district, Gunib district, Buynaksk, Babayurt district... Local residents complain to us that sometimes it is hard to breathe. Activists of the People's Front constantly receive complaints from people on the ground. A guard at one of the landfills directly told us that he deliberately sets fires, saying otherwise the waste would accumulate. When I said that he is poisoning the air and local residents get sick, the man stated that if anyone dies first from poisoning, it would be him, who sits there for days," he said.
A video of the fire at the landfill in the Khasavyurt district was published today by the Instagram*-public tut.dagestan. The footage shows the landfill at night, with flames burning in two places and smoke spreading around.
"The garbage dump is on fire, and it all goes to the village," noted the author of the video while filming the smoke clouds.
In the description of the post, it is stated that residents of the village of Karlanyurt complained about the acrid smoke from the landfill, saying that the garbage is set on fire daily.
"The whole village is enveloped in smoke, it is impossible to breathe. In such heat, you can't even open the windows. In winter, the situation is the same – a constant acrid smell. According to local residents, with the silent consent of the administration, a man from another village comes: first, he sets the landfill on fire, and the next day he collects metal for sale," the description of the video states.
This post in the Instagram*-public tut.dagestan, which has about 1.6 million followers, had received 358 likes and 28 comments by 09:45 MSK on June 14. Some of the authors called on officials to take action.
"It is impossible to breathe, we are just fed up," noted user apteka_alya.
"The smell is unbearably terrible, we can't open the windows, and it's the same every day," wrote bella_akavova.
"This terrible smell even reaches the village of Bammatbekyurt, it is impossible to open the windows again. No one thinks about people's health," stated asiya.asieva2018.
"In the evening, it is impossible to sit in the yard. How to live? People do not live in our village, they survive. Some earn money, while others suffer," complained k_elmira76.
Some users stated that the problem has existed for several years, but the situation does not change. "Is it really that people finally complained! Because people are soft with each other, everyone sat silently and endured for so many years. We hope that at least now measures will be taken," emphasized user molly_boutique.
"Every day we are poisoned by this smell, and it has been going on for years. The main thing is that everyone is aware and silent, no matter how many complaints there have been – it is useless, they close their eyes," pointed out biybolatova_.
"Well, finally, at least someone posted this village problem," wrote user xas_cvety.
Commenters also noted that a similar situation is observed in other settlements in Dagestan. "We have the same thing in the Olympic village every evening," noted a_m_77706.
"The same thing every evening in Botashyurt in the Khasavyurt district," wrote user dagmarik_.
Some users linked the landfill problem to other communal issues in the settlement.
"It is so hot these days, it is impossible to open the windows because of the smell. And there has been no water for so long," wrote user diiiiii.________.
"It is such a heat, and there has been no water for so long," noted user asiko2323.
"Why are you silent about water, electricity, gas? Those who survive in this village cannot file a complaint or say a word," stated rmznnvaa.
Commenters called for those responsible to be held accountable. "Who will be responsible for this? After all, these are illegal actions, as toxic smoke harms health," emphasized kamilla_1903_.
"Overall, this problem is relevant throughout Dagestan. Which authority is responsible for this? The smell is unbearable at night," pointed out __d_a_l_i.
As of 09:45 MSK on June 14, there are no comments on the website of the Khasavyurt district administration regarding the residents' complaint from the village of Karlanyurt about the acrid smoke from the landfill.