Reporting. Asbestos, toxic rubble…risk of rebuilding devastated cities after earthquake in Turkey is an urgent concern

Ufuk Bayer met at the foot of the clock in Atiyaman, Turkey, which became a symbol of the earthquake that devastated the south of the country on February 6. At 4:17 a.m., far from the epicenter, the clock stopped when the earth shook. Everywhere you look, you see only ruins.

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When Brussels hosts a conference of donors for the reconstruction of the Turkish provinces destroyed by the earthquake, the cost of the damage is estimated at more than 100 billion dollars, not counting the reconstruction: like Adiyaman, these are entire cities, almost destroyed cities. The stadium needs to be rebuilt.

300,000 buildings are uninhabitable

Ufuk, a cartographic engineer and general secretary of the Atiyaman Chamber of Architects, believes the city needs a complete redesign.

“In my opinion, it is necessary to demolish at least 60% or 70% of the city. Because at least 30% of the city center has been destroyed and the remaining 60% of the buildings are uninhabitable. And they present a great danger. .”

In eleven provinces, nearly 300,000 buildings were affected. This is not the only risk today. Cranes are everywhere working to remove the debris. “The government came too late to save lives, help came too late, but too soon they started picking up the rubble, Ufuk explains. A private company has been awarded the contract to remove the debris. She’s just started, but she’s already dumping debris into a wetland, which is going to have a big impact on the environment. Not to mention all those big dust clouds…”

Asbestos and toxic waste everywhere

Asbestos floats in these clouds of dust that Ufuk raises, while toxic debris piles up on the ground everywhere. The health hazard is starting to indicate: in the rush to demolish them and rebuild, the authorities are not concerned. He adds that before rebuilding, it will be necessary to take into account the uses of cities as a whole.

Collapsed hill just opposite: On the day of the earthquake, the Issias Hotel collapsed minutes after burying twenty-four children who had come from Cyprus to play in a volleyball match. Ece Tuncay, the architect, blames the authorities:

“No construction can start without the municipality’s knowledge and consent. She sets the rules: she gives us the rules we have to respect. We follow the authorities’ instructions.”

“If the land is not suitable, The architect continues, They should have told us, given us permission to depend on the soil, and we could have taken the necessary steps to avoid this disaster.” So far, only promoters or builders have been prosecuted, but not government employees. As for the reconstruction fund, which would generate tens of billions of dollars, it was quickly established. This is to ensure transparency, a new concern.