Senior geologist warns of landslide fears

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

The threat of landslides in the Zykh settlement of Baku is growing every day, according to the Alemdar Piriyev, senior geologist at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

The geologist sees the cause of potential landslides in water sewage wells in this territory.

Moreover, the soil in this area is very weak and water softens it even more, Piriyev said.

Last month, 0.07-0.17 centimeters thick cracks arose on the walls of private houses at the Zykh 1 landslide zone.

“The population living in this area should be resettled mandatorily,” he said adding that it is not even possible to erect a wall to prevent these landslides.

The geologist said that the landslide-prone areas on the outskirts of Baku are divided into three groups: those that lie on tectonic faults, from exogenous geological processes, and from technogenic processes.

“The Landslide area in Zikh is [caused by] tectonic faults. Dropping wastewater into the territory and influence of precipitation constantly activates the process,” Piriyev said.

The geologist also added that the landslide area in Ahmadli is activated due to technogenic processes. “Here, landslides are associated with the bursting of sewer pipes.”

However, he noted that the process can remain stable in this area if there are no irrigation activities and sewer pipes do not burst.

The number of areas in Azerbaijan that are prone to landslides has increased by four times in the past 24 years, the Geography Institute reported in December 2014.

In 1990, landslides were recorded in 103 settlements in Azerbaijan and now the figure has reached 400.

Scientists 80 percent of the landslides are due to agricultural activity, which increases their risk.

A prolonged drought was observed in Azerbaijan last summer, which caused mudflows in the mountainous areas. The drought created grounds for further mudslides last year.

In November 2014, prolonged rains triggered several landslides in the southern region of the country. Landslides are usually reported in spring and autumn in Azerbaijan.