Foul smell engulfs downtown Nizhny Novgorod: what the Vodokanal says

      15 September 2025 18:00

      [259]

      Society

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Maria Orlova

      On the morning of 15 September, residents of Nizhny Novgorod once again complained about a stench. But this time it covered not Verkhnye Pechery, Kuznechikha or Meshchera, where the unpleasant smell appears with unfortunate regularity, but the very center of the city — the area around Freedom Square.

      "At first I didn't understand where the smell was coming from. I thought a pipe had burst in my apartment. But everything is fine. Then I realized the stench had seeped in through the open windows. It's simply impossible to breathe," complained a reader of NIA "Nizhny Novgorod".

      The editorial office of NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" asked JSC "Nizhny Novgorod Vodokanal" to comment on the situation. They responded promptly to the agency's request and conducted an inspection of the wastewater/sewerage networks in the area of Freedom Square with measurements of gas levels in the air.

      "At the time of the inspection the wastewater line was in technically sound condition, no odor was detected. No exceedances of the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) for hydrogen sulfide were recorded," they told the editorial office.

      By the way, over the weekend there was again an unpleasant smell in Verkhnye Pechery and Kuznechikha. Residents of those districts filed complaints on social media.

      Earlier it was reported that since the beginning of 2025 around 50 administrative cases have been filed against illegal sewage haulers. Their illegal activity is partly blamed for the appearance of the stench in some locations.

      It also became known that oversight of discharges from Nizhny Novgorod enterprises has been strengthened. Over two months 767 inspections of industrial sites were conducted, during which 46 violations were identified. Enterprises were assessed 74 million rubles for negative environmental impact.

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