ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – August 2012
THE REGULATION HAS BEEN PUBLISHED (6306)
The Law No. 6306 on the Transformation of Areas Under Disaster Risk was published in the Official Gazette on May 31, 2012, and came into force. However, we had been eagerly waiting for the implementation regulation.
The regulation for the law was published in the Official Gazette on August 4, 2012, and came into effect. The meaning of this for the citizens is clear: anyone who needs to act can now do so. More than three weeks have passed since the regulation came into force, but there has been no visible activity.
So, what should have been done by now? What makes this regulation so important? Why are we in such a rush for the implementation of the regulation? Since Elazığ is in the first-degree earthquake zone, and the risk of a devastating earthquake is constantly looming over us, this regulation is crucial. It mandates that risky buildings be renewed, and its implementation should begin immediately.
Let's get into the necessary steps... Without wasting any time, the risky areas and reserve construction areas need to be identified. It is clearly stated who is responsible for this: municipalities and provincial special administrations. In fact, the planning process is described as follows in the regulation: "Plan proposals within the municipal and adjacent area boundaries shall be prepared by the municipalities, and outside these areas, by provincial special administrations."
The Law No. 6306 and the regulation do not only concern city centers. Risky area assessments must be conducted in any settlement with buildings. However, naturally, the most risky areas are those with the highest population density. For rural areas and villages, the provincial special administration will carry out the risk assessments, while municipalities will be responsible for urban areas, towns, and neighborhoods.
The area that we must focus on is Elazığ Central. Until 2005, Elazığ did not have a building inspection system, which makes it difficult for technical experts to predict the scale of the building stock with inadequate earthquake resistance. Therefore, Elazığ Municipality must begin by identifying the building stock in the central neighborhoods.
During this process, all necessary technical data should be gathered, as this information will be used to create a structural risk map. This map will then help prioritize reserve construction areas.
I believe that it will not be possible to carry out this work with only municipal personnel. It would be appropriate to seek technical information and personnel support from related institutions. This is not just the municipality’s issue but Elazığ’s issue, although the responsibility is clearly defined by law as belonging to the municipality.
Once the risky areas are identified, the municipality will announce them. Citizens living in these areas will then be able to have their buildings' earthquake resistance assessed, for a fee, by authorized institutions and organizations. They will have the right to object to the results. After determining the earthquake resistance of all buildings in the risky area, the region’s new zoning plan must be prepared.
I will not go into what should happen next, as these steps we’ve outlined so far are not things that can be completed in just a few days. The time to act is now.
Law No. 6306 is the most significant step our government has taken regarding the building stock with insufficient earthquake resistance. The central government has cleared the way for local administrations. From this point forward, all responsibility after a predicted devastating earthquake will lie with local governments. Therefore, a decision must be made immediately on which risky area in Elazığ will begin urban transformation, based on technical and scientific data.
With the hope that our city will become a resilient one, I urge that these efforts begin without delay..