Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - The Law “On soil protection and increasing their fertility” was signed by the President of Uzbekistan.

The law establishes the basic principles in the field of soil protection and increasing their fertility, state regulation of the industry, the basis and procedure for increasing soil fertility.

The Ministry of Agriculture implements a unified state policy in the field of soil protection and increasing their fertility.

Landowners have the right to receive information about the assessment of soil quality on their land plot from the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemical Research.

Landowners are required to remove and preserve the existing fertile soil layer when carrying out urban planning activities, geological exploration and mining, as well as other non-agricultural activities.

The removed fertile soil layer is transported by construction organizations to places determined by local executive authorities for storage.

If it is established that the fertile layer of soil has not been removed and preserved, the damage caused will be compensated to the local budget in accordance with the established procedure. These funds will be used to put into circulation irrigated lands unused in agriculture and improve the land reclamation condition.

Soil studies are carried out by authorized organizations of the ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.

The law comes into force 3 months from the date of official publication.