Authorities Failed to Plan Housing Rehabilitation in Earthquake Zone

The situation in the May 2012 earthquake zone in the Zagatala and Gakh regions of Azerbaijan remains critical. Work is being done badly, and in light of the coming winter only a tiny part of the planned work has been done.

The State Commission has recognized the victims of the 6-magnitude earthquake 3,482 houses and 32 schools. In Zagatala, 2,732 homes were destroyed and 278 were beyond repair. However, 5 months after the earthquake, only a few houses have been built. Of the 21 rural schools destroyed, only two have been rebuilt.

Local authorities have promised to build two thousand houses before the winter, which is doubtful given the pace of the construction. No house repairs have been carried out either.

In the village of Bazaar in Zagatala local residents reported, that there are an insufficient number of workers on the construction sites. This is due to low wages. Thus, for 1 square m of masonry they pay AZN 4, requiring a "rollback" of 50 kopecks.

Representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations told residents that they are to select the repair workers themselves. The population is also obliged to ensure the workers' meals. If they cannot feed the workers, the work is not carried out.

MOE also refuses to restore old houses. For example, the victims are offered a new house of 70 sq. m instead of repairing the destroyed house of 150 square meters. In cases of disagreement, the house is not built.

The house of village resident Bazaar Firdash Hajiyeva has not been rebuilt because this old, sick woman is unable to feed the workers. 87-year-old Ramazan Ramazanov, who lives in a temporary hut, also complained that the house was not rebuilt. In the destroyed house of 150 sq. m belonging to Hamid Heydarov two families lived, including a disabled child. He is offered a two-bedroom apartment of 70 sq. m. Because of his refusal to accept these conditions, the house is not built.

In the Gakh region 472 houses suffered, of which 318 were destroyed and 154 are recognized as subject to overhaul. They have just built one house, and of the 13 destroyed schools they have rebuilt only one. Here the problems are the same as in Zagatala.

We can say that the MOE failed in the plan to restore the infrastructure and housing in the disaster area. In Gakh the work is conducted by the companies Memar Inshaat and Intelligent LLC, and in Zagatala - by Gilan Inshaat and Inshaat 181 designated by MOE. In this case, the cost of houses is remarkable even for Baku. So, one sq. m is estimated at AZN 500. The estimated cost of a two-room house is 37,000 AZN, and a five-room house is worth 60,000 manat.

Initially, the authorities showed special concern for the victims. After the earthquake, the Emergency Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov and then the President Ilham Aliyev arrived in the area. In September, the President even took part in the opening of several facilities built in the damaged zone. Government press talked about the successful overcoming of the aftermath of the earthquake. This was the reaction of the authorities to the signals of Staff Kura and independent press about the catastrophic situation in the disaster area.

The situation in the disaster area is clearly shown by a video clip prepared by Turan Information Agency's Mammedsadyg Fataliyev on October 2. - 0 -