SARAJEVO Next Steps Agreed for Landslide Remediation in Buča Potok

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - After yesterday's visit and on-site inspection of the soil movement problem at the Buča Potok site, in Vladimira Preloga Street, the Chairman of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly Elmedin Okerić and the Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection Enver Hadžiahmetović held a meeting today with the Director of the Sarajevo Canton Construction Institute Mirza Hulusić and representatives of the Civil Protection and the Investment Service of the Novi Grad Municipality, with the aim of agreeing on measures for the remediation of this landslide.

The Civil Protection of the competent municipality noted two months ago that a crack in the soil had formed at this site, with a diameter of about 50 meters, which directly threatens a residential-commercial building under construction owned by Samir Petrović, as well as houses in its vicinity.

After visiting the mentioned location, the Sarajevo Canton Construction Institute confirmed that soil movement had been activated, expressing the opinion that groundwater on that plot and the plot above it most likely led to the occurrence of the landslide. There is a need to take all actions as soon as possible to prevent further soil movement and to remediate the existing condition.

“Financial resources for this purpose have been secured, and no one in the system has the right to ignore the need to remediate this, as well as all other landslides, especially those that threaten and endanger the lives and property of our fellow citizens. We understand that different interpretations of regulations can sometimes be obstacles to action on the ground, but I am sure we can always find a solution,” said Chairman Okerić at today's meeting.

Concrete conclusions and steps were agreed upon by all present at today's meeting.

The competent services of the Novi Grad Municipality are obliged, regarding the specific case of the landslide in Vladimira Preloga Street, within their jurisdiction, to determine in detail the factual situation at this site, as well as the causes that led to it.

The Sarajevo Canton Construction Institute has been tasked with providing all professional and technical assistance that the Novi Grad Municipality may require in the process of treating and remediating this landslide. The Institute is also responsible for securing funds for remediation after the expressed need and the preparation of the project task in cooperation with the Sarajevo Canton Government.

Resolving the problem of this landslide, as well as all other approximately 850 registered landslides, points to the need for a comprehensive and clearly defined legal framework for addressing this issue, was the common assessment of today's meeting.

For this reason, the Sarajevo Canton Government and Assembly have been requested to initiate activities, in cooperation with municipalities and competent institutions, for the adoption of a special legal framework for solving the problem of landslides in the Sarajevo Canton.