Landslide zones intensify in Baku, on Absheron Peninsula

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

A landslide, the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope due to gravity, causes serious problems for many countries around the world. Fortunately, this geological phenomenon is not common in Azerbaijan, but the country still has some landslide zones.

A relative activity of landslide areas is most observed in the south of Azerbaijan – the villages of Godman, Zuvand, Gullutepe in Masalli region, and Soru, Veri-Aliabad and Kirevud of Lerik region, Aziz Garalov told Trend on October 23.

The head of the geological planning expedition of the National Geological Exploration Service under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources added that the landslide zones have also intensified in the village of Sagyan in Shamakhi region, at 106-111 kilometers of Baku-Shamakhi highway and on the roads Jalilabad-Yardimli and Muganli-Ismayilli.

The same process is observed in Baku and Absheron Peninsula – in the settlements of Hokmali and Masazir, Garalov said, adding that the landslide areas have intensified after a few days of rains, but the human factor also influences this process.

A landslide is a dangerous geological phenomenon, which occur on valley slopes or river banks, in the mountains, on seashores, and even on the seabed.

Scientists believe that human activity is the reason for 80 percent of the landslides, as their agricultural activity increases the risk of landslides.

Construction work on the slopes of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, the use of a watering yard, the outpouring of groundwater on the surface, and other factors are the cause of landslides, which have been a problem in the past as well.