Ghozien Jamoat

Geographic location

Gozien Rural Jamoat is part of Bobojon Ghafurov District, Sughd Region. It lies in the central-western part of the district, on the outskirts of Khujand on the bank of the Khojaboqirgon stream. The total area of the jamoat is 503.83 hectares. Its population is 19,340.

Administrative structure

The jamoat administratively comprises the villages of Qahramon, Gozien-1, Gozien-2, Gumbaz, Sedasta, Dehai Bolo, Dehai Poyon, Chorsu-1, Chorsu-2 and Qotma. There are 2,783 households in the jamoat, served by 8 mahalla committees.

Historical and cultural background

Every settlement has its own history and chronicle, and the village of Gozien is no exception. Historians regard Gozien as one of the oldest villages around Khujand. The name dates back to the spread of Islam in the area: it derives from ghozihо — warriors of the faith — meaning that the present-day village was once a base of the Arab army. Because the administration of the Gozien Village Soviet was located in the centre of the settlement, the place itself came to bear the same name.

The Gozien Village Soviet — today known as the Gozien Rural Jamoat — was established by a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR on 5 January 1965. Until then it had been part of Yova Jamoat, and on that day it became independent.

Economy and infrastructure

The jamoat is home to 18 dehkan (peasant) farms, more than 80 shareholders, 10 individual farms, 3 brickyards, 4 gravel plants and 1 asphalt plant, all producing high-quality agricultural and industrial output.

Public services in the jamoat include secondary schools No. 11, 20, 21 and 62, the private school “Amid”, 5 kindergartens, the “Gozien”, “Chorsu” and “Qotma” health centres, the “Dehai Poyon” health house, the “Gozien” State Communal Enterprise, two cultural clubs, 1 library, an Amonatbank branch, mobile communications, a local radio relay, 5 filling stations, two restaurants, 7 inner-district and suburban bus routes, and a range of consumer-service, trade, catering, bakery, shoe-repair and vehicle-repair facilities.

War veterans

The jamoat is currently home to 25 veterans of the Afghan war, 5 liquidators of the Chernobyl nuclear-plant accident, 26 veterans of the battles to restore constitutional order, and more than 800 veterans of war and labour. It is proud of 15 Heroes of Socialist Labour, three of them women.

Climate and agriculture

The jamoat sits in the steppe landscape at the foot of the Rukhak hills and has a dry, windy climate. Average summer temperatures range from +25 °C to +40 °C; winter temperatures can drop to −20 °C.

Fertile soils and the waters of the Khojaboqirgon stream have shaped the agriculture of the jamoat — cotton, grain, fruit and vegetables, rice and grapes. Silk farming has also developed here. Because average annual rainfall is low (150–300 mm), intensive irrigation is essential.

Population

The population of the jamoat totals 19,340, of whom 9,185 are women. The villages of Chorsu, Gozien and Dehai Bolo are the largest in the jamoat and together account for 56% of the population.

Table 1. Population and households of Gozien Rural Jamoat

Table 2. Ethnic composition of the jamoat

Table 3. Population growth forecast

Over 2016–2020 the jamoat’s population is projected to grow by roughly 2,840 people.

Because the village of Gozien lies close to Khujand, jamoat residents maintain close family and marital ties with the city.

Economy

The jamoat’s economy rests on agriculture and rural industry, which employ 61% of the population. The main agricultural outputs are vegetables, grain, fruit and cotton — produced largely by dehkan farms.

The lack of a modern material and technical base, worn-out equipment, outdated irrigation methods and insufficient investment hold back yield growth and the production of high-quality agricultural goods.

The jamoat’s proximity to central Khujand and the “Panjshanbe” market enables residents to deliver agricultural produce to buyers quickly and without loss of quality.

Healthcare

Residents are served by three health centres and one health house.

Strengths, weaknesses and opportunities

Strengths

• Agriculture, farms, shops, schools, health centres, sports facilities and chaikhanas
• Highly qualified specialists
• Developed transport network
• Proximity to Khujand, supporting employment
• Greenhouses
• Three brickyards, dehkan farms, private workshops, active entrepreneurship
• Promising young leaders
• Existing canal and uncultivated land available for development

Weaknesses

• Numerous toxic-waste dumps
• Roads in need of repair
• High unemployment
• Shortage of budget funds and qualified specialists
• Low legal literacy among the population
• Unstable water supply in summer and electricity supply in winter
• Lack of processing facilities and well-paid jobs
• Air pollution
• Shortage of modern medical equipment in health centres

Opportunities

• Attracting investors thanks to proximity to the city
• Building an agro-industrial complex for processing agricultural output
• Setting up waste-recycling and wool-processing enterprises
• Reinforcing the banks of the Khojaboqirgon stream
• Organising short courses (tractor drivers, tailoring, crafts, carpentry)
• Expanding health-centre services
• Neutralising radioactive waste