As we have reported, a landslide occurred in the Gobustan settlement of Baku’s Garadagh district. As a result of the operation carried out by rescuers, one person (male) was rescued from under the soil layer, and the body of another person (male) was recovered and handed over to the relevant authorities.
What is the cause of the landslide? Is it possible to build houses or facilities in such places? Which agency should pay compensation to the people affected by the incident?
“Elchi” reports that real estate expert Elnur Azadov, speaking to globalinfo.az, stated that the use of land in accordance with its designation is regulated by the Land Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan:
“At the same time, territorial planning works are carried out in accordance with the construction and urban planning legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and construction works are permitted only in areas provided for or authorized by law. Here, of course, the purpose of the building is also taken into account. Control over the territory is exercised by local executive authorities and municipal structures. In addition, the State Agency for Control over Construction under the Ministry of Emergency Situations also participates in this process. In fact, landslide zones are specially registered land plots. Each executive authority registers such zones within its territory.”
The expert noted that citizens should apply to local executive authorities and architectural bodies to obtain the appropriate permits for construction:
“Initial documents must be prepared in the correct manner. The land must be owned or in use, and must also belong to residential areas permitted by law. After that, the citizen applies to design and estimate organizations, and those organizations prepare a project suitable for the land plot. If it is a private residential house, construction of houses up to 12 meters in height is permitted. After the project documents are approved by the relevant state agencies, construction is permitted with the consent of the local executive authority and architectural bodies. It is assumed that in such cases, construction work was carried out illegally, resulting in the incident. Along with this, exceptional cases are also possible. In some areas, landslides may occur over time due to the terrain, soil erosion, technogenic impacts, or seismic movements.”
Elnur Azadov added that if the incident occurred in an illegal building, compensation is not provided:
“However, in some exceptional cases, relevant state agencies may make a decision. For example, if there is an illegal building over communication lines and its urgent demolition is required, it is possible to make a decision regarding whether or not to pay compensation to citizens of a certain category.”
It should be noted that the relevant authorities are investigating the incident.