Tashkent sets a green condition for greenhouses: filter or relocate
Greenhouses in and around Tashkent are being offered the chance to keep operating if they install filtered heating systems that meet standards. The reason: air pollution from coal heating.
Uzbekistan has proposed allowing greenhouses in Tashkent and the surrounding area to keep operating — if they comply with environmental requirements. The move follows complaints about air pollution caused by the greenhouses' coal-fired heating.
What is being proposed
Under the proposal, to continue operating greenhouses would have to install modern, certified boilers fitted with emission-cleaning and filtration systems that meet applicable standards. Operators also proposed installing video surveillance that transmits emissions data to the National Environmental Monitoring Centre. Prototype filter measurements taken in September–October 2026 did not yet meet the thresholds considered safe for public health.
The root of the problem
Many greenhouses in the Tashkent region are heated with coal and fuel oil. The resulting emissions of pollutants such as NO₂, SO₂ and PM2.5 have significantly worsened the capital's air quality. In 2024, about 60% of greenhouses in the area reportedly relied on coal as their main fuel.
Options for greenhouse owners
Under the state programme, 6,517 greenhouse enterprises around Tashkent are required to install filtration systems or relocate. Owners were offered three options: move to an agropark in the Surkhandarya region, where winters are milder; install filtered heating with financial support; or switch to activities that require less heating. In 2024–2025, the profile of about 300 hectares of greenhouses was already changed.
“In the past, greenhouses became our main source of air pollution,” said Tashkent Mayor Shavkat Umurzakov.
Why it matters
In recent winters Tashkent has ranked among the cities with the world's worst air. Relocating or filtering greenhouses is a measure aimed at improving the capital's air quality, while affecting thousands of entrepreneurs and their jobs. From 1 October 2026, construction of new greenhouses around Tashkent has been restricted.
