A critical agricultural drainage system in Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula is facing significant degradation due to what officials describe as gross mismanagement, sparking environmental and food security concerns. An inspection by the nation’s federal agricultural watchdog revealed that a key land plot in the Yelizovsky district is being improperly used for cattle grazing, leading to the destruction of vital infrastructure.
Investigators from Rosselkhoznadzor, the federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance, found that the channels of the “Kirilkinskaya” drainage system were collapsing under the weight of livestock herds. The system, designed to regulate water levels to make the land suitable for farming, is now severely overgrown with weeds and trees, rendering it ineffective and threatening the viability of local agriculture.
Compounding the issue of neglect, inspectors noted the continued presence of a large, illegal solid waste dump within the drainage area. A landfill first identified years ago has still not been fully cleared, with 169 square meters of trash remaining. This highlights a persistent failure to enforce environmental regulations in a region world-renowned for its pristine natural beauty.
In response, Rosselkhoznadzor has issued a formal warning to the regional office of the Federal Agency for State Property Management, the body responsible for the land. This incident is not isolated. Official data for the year reveals a wider pattern of neglect across Kamchatka, with inspections finding over 566 hectares of agricultural land completely overgrown and four other unauthorized landfills, pointing to systemic challenges in managing state resources in Russia’s Far East.