On Sunday, 17 September, the opening ceremony for the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is scheduled to be held in Ashgabat.
Since late July and early August traffic has been denied access to the entire central part of the city (see the map below). “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” has previously reported that this created serious problems for those living in the central residential districts of the capital.
Not only privately-owned vehicles but also ambulances and fire engines are denied access to the houses.Owners of small privately-owned retail outlets (those who have not been forced to close them down for the Asian Games) are unable to get merchandise transported to their stores.
Entrepreneurs try to solve this problem with the help of porters who are hired to transport foodstuff to the shops in trolleys.
A curfew is reported to have been unofficially imposed in the city. After 8 p.m. all inhabitants of the city are forbidden to walk in the parks and children are prevented from playing in the yards. The police officers dispersing the residents say that it is forbidden to appear on the streets in the evening.
In April the inhabitants of the apartment blocks located opposite the Olympic villages were notified that they would have to move out of their apartments during the Asian Games.
This idea, following a publication in the media, or since people had nowhere to move to, was eventually abandoned but the residents were prevented from appearing on the street from the side of the Olympic village.
Pyrotechnics for fireworks have been installed on the territory of the school and car park in residential district MIR-1. It is guarded by security officials, who keep vigil around the pyrotechnics installations five meters from each other.
Moreover, freight containers which will subsequently be converted into toilets are urgently being positioned in residential districts MIR-1 and MIR-2.Doors are fitted in the containers and holes are made to lay pipes to the sewerage.
Toilet bowls, sinks and mirrors are installed inside.The walls are covered with white plastic.Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” note that these works are being carried out with haste.
“It is evident that toilets are being hastily installed. It appears the authorities have just become aware of this and have not purchased bio toilets. They are using materials available to hand”,— one of our sources said.