December 13, 2013
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental of the Russian Federation proposed to allow Baikal water bottling in industrial scale. It was announced by Deputy Minister of natural resources and ecology of the Russian Federation Rinat Gizatulin at the session of the Interdepartmental Commission on protection of Lake Baikal presented a draft Government regulation on introducing changes in the list of activities prohibited in the Central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory (BNT).
Bottling of drinking Baikal water includes the following processes: water intake from Lake Baikal used an underwater pump, mechanical cleaning and filtration, bottling water, labeling and storage.
In addition to bottling of drinking water the Ministry of natural resources of Russia proposed to allow medicinal herbs harvesting in the area, vegetables, fruit and berries processing personal subsidiary plots and farms, as well as the production of natural based medicines.
Forests of the Baikal natural area are rich in edible resources. Here are the possible procurement of cedar nuts, cowberry, bilberry, blueberry, currant, honeysuckle, rowan-berry, raspberry, gathering of mushrooms and medicinal plants. According to the Ministry of natural resources of Russia, in Central ecological zone of Baikal natural territory annual harvesting can be 16.3 thousand tons of berries, 7.8 thousand tons of mushrooms, 10 - 30 thousand tons of cedar nuts.
In addition, a strong tradition for growing strawberries and favorable climatic conditions (about 500 tonnes of strawberry are grown in Baikalsk annually), a Federal motorway «Baykal», the Transsib, proximity to markets of Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude determine the economic feasibility of food industrial sitting.
“Permit for agriculture, collection practice for starting materials of herbal origin is one of the measures for socio-economic support of the population in Baikalsk. The amendments proposed by the Ministry of natural resources of Russia allow local residents to process natural blessings, fruit and vegetables at the place of gathering, not taking them beyond the Central ecological zone. It allows to significantly economize on transportation of products and to support to the development of small and medium-scale business”, - said R. Gizatulin.