Landslide Zone - More Serious Control over Issuance of Construction Licenses Required

Baku / 19.10.18 / Turan: Recently, in several territories of Baku, there has been an active landslide process.

On October 12 on the slope along the road between the village of Badamdar and the 20th Section there was a landslide. The earth mass and retaining wall moved down by 1.0-1.3 meters, in connection with which it was recommended to residents of private houses on the slope near the landslide zone to leave them. The Ministry of Environment has created a headquarters to establish monitoring of the landslide process.

Following this, on October 17, a landslide occurred near the village of Bibi-Heybat, as a result of which the retaining wall was destroyed.

And on October 18, there was a landslide in the center of Baku on Samed Vurgun Street. It covered a territory with a length of 60 meters and a width of 3 meters.

Experts explain the activation of landslides with new buildings.

What are really the reasons? Turan called the urban planning expert Rufat Shirinov.

- Rufat Bey, what are the causes of these landslides - natural processes or artificial intervention?

- The causes are both natural and artificial. In the past, zones suitable and not suitable for construction were provided for in the rules of urban planning.

Since the 1990s this principle has been systematically violated. At present, the construction process is conducted chaotically.

- A number of experts claim that due to the construction, many underground rivers in Absheron have changed their course and therefore there is a serious danger of landslides in different parts of the peninsula. How reasonable are these assumptions?

- Yes, they are true. In fact, where there are underground rivers, it is impossible to conduct construction. But, in cases of great need, these rivers are "taken" into concrete pipes and systematically serviced. However, we do not do that.

- In any case, the disaster is caused by the new buildings. Some experts fear that it is impossible to build up Absheron and so heavily load it. They say, the peninsula can simply break away from the mainland and stay under water.

- Of course, mass construction creates the risk of disasters, but the probability of separation of the peninsula from the mainland is almost zero.

- Does the relief of Baku allow it to withstand so many interventions, such a volume of new construction?

- In some parts of Baku, the relief is not very suitable for additional interventions and constructions. But, if there is a great need, then before construction it is necessary to carry out a geo- morphological analysis and investigate all the triggers (that is, factors that may contribute to a landslide). After that, in accordance with the situation, reinforcement works should be carried out, and underground rivers should be taken into concrete pipes and redirected to collectors.

- Why did not they build so many high-rise buildings in the Soviet times?

- This was due to the lack of need for the construction of high-rise buildings, as well as the lack of necessary technologies for this.

- Who should control all these issues? Or why there is no control?

- All these issues should be monitored by the National Geological Prospecting Service of the Ministry of Environment. The lack of control is probably due to excessively corrupt construction sector.

- Under this situation, what dangers can be expected in Baku and Absheron? And how can they be prevented?

Taking into account the pressure of buildings chaotically constructed in the past 30 years with violations of the standards, as well as the inadequate underground infrastructure, there are repetitions of such cases (landslides).

With this in mind, the relevant structures should, as far as possible, resettle people and liberate territories from buildings.

In other places, special strengthening works should be carried out. And henceforth it is necessary to strengthen the control over the issuance of building permits. -0-