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Asbestos slate roofs to be changed in Azerbaijan due to carcinogen character

05 April 2012 11:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elvin Yagubov, Zahid Abishovm Kamala Guliyeva â€“ APA. Asbestos slate roofs of houses and social facilities will be changed in Azerbaijan. APA reports that the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers sent a service letter to the local executive authorities urging to address this problem. The authorities of Kurdamir, Agsu, Goychay, Shamakhi and Ujar regions have already started preparing the list of buildings with asbestos roofs.

First deputy head of Kurdamirâ€™s regional executive power, chairman of regional emergency commission Vasif Mammadov told APA that measuring work is being conducted now. â€œExact number of houses and social facilities with asbestos roofs in Kurdamir and its 61 villages will be known in a week. We donâ€™t know the reason of registration of only houses with asbestos roofs. May be those materials are harmful for the health. But we donâ€™t have information on replacement of roofs and which aids will be rendered to the citizens for it. We just register such houses, measure the width and height of roofsâ€.

Executive official of the regionâ€™s Chohranli village Farman Hamidov told APA that such houses in the village were included in the list and information was presented to the executive power: â€œThe asbestos roofs were determined in 155 of 245 private houses in the village, including the building of villageâ€™s executive representation and municipality, school and club. We donâ€™t know the reason of identification of such construction and it is difficult for us to give concrete answer to the questions of the citizensâ€.

Deputy head of Agsu regional executive power, chairman of the regional emergency commission Igbal Mikayilov told APA that the listing and measurement works are carried out in the region and 78 villages. He said that the task given in the Cabinetâ€™s service letter was fulfilled and added that he didnâ€™t know the reason of it.

Listing of asbestos slate roofs building was started in Ujar region too. First deputy head of Ujar regional executive power, chairman of the emergency commission Abil Mehdiyev told APA that the process was started in the region by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers on April 1 and carried out by local executive representations. It will be finished on April 7. It is not still announced about the reasons of this issue. Local residents of said that the asbestos slates roofs would be replaced by new roofs due to radiation.

Government sources told APA that the issue on the replacement of asbestos slate roofs actually is on agenda. But the government didnâ€™t make a decision on it and just the preliminary investigations are being carried out. According to the information, the cost of this project is much enough. But Azerbaijan has definite liabilities before international conventions including European Social Charter. The source also said that production of asbestos slates in the republic has already stopped.

Director of Institute of Radiation Problems of the Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Adil Garibov told APA that asbestos slates emit nitrogen-containing carcinogen and harmful substances: â€œAccording to the medical report determined by the experts at an international level, these substances stimulate cancer. Thatâ€™s why to use asbestos slates was restricted in many developed countries around the world. Azerbaijan also considers as developed country. Therefore the problem of asbestos slates is on agenda.â€