AZE.US
Video footage showing a dark, murky discharge flowing into the Caspian Sea near Shikhov Beach in Baku has sparked concern among local residents and beachgoers.
The footage, recorded in the Lokbatan area of Sabail district, shows liquid being released through a large pipe. Witnesses said the color and flow rate changed several times, while some people at the beach complained of an unpleasant odor.
Several residents suggested the discharge could be sewage or chemical waste coming from nearby facilities or port infrastructure.
Azerbaijan’s State Water Resources Agency rejected those claims after inspecting Shikhov Beach and the surrounding area.
According to the agency’s water protection and monitoring service, dredging operations are being carried out nearby to ensure vessels can safely enter the port.
Officials said special-purpose ships are removing sand and sediment from the seabed. The resulting mixture of seawater, sand and bottom deposits is then pumped through a pipe toward the shore.
The agency said the discharge shown in social media videos was not sewage, but seawater mixed with sand as part of the dredging process.
Residents were urged to rely on information confirmed by official sources.
AZE.US