Deputy Minister Pavlova signed 11 contracts in support of the small-scale infrastructure in order to prevent landslides in urban agglomerations

Today, Deputy Minister Liliana Pavlova signed 11 contracts within the scheme "Support for small-scale infrastructure to prevent landslides in urban agglomerations in her capacity of Head of the Managing Authority of the Operational Program "Regional Development" 2007-2013.
The total value of grants, under the contracts, is 8 581 417.72 EUR, 7 294 205.06 EUR of which financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
Today, the signed contracts will be implemented within the urban agglomeration areas of the municipalities of : Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Balchik, Kuklen, Sliven, Svishtov, Peshtera, Dupnitsa, Municipality of Sofia and Red Beach.
The implementation of the activities from the proposals approved will contribute to strengthen the 11 landslides and demolitions. As a result of their stabilization 557 (private and public) properties and 38 960 m road sections will be saved of compromising and the risk of becoming unusable will be avoided. Approximately 80 421 citizens will be favored by the implementation of the 11 contracts.
This is the second scheme, aiming to supporting the prevention of landslides in urban areas, which was published with the residual resource of the previous scheme.
The specific objectives of the scheme for preventing  landslides in urban areas are:
 To provide protection of life and property in urban agglomeration areas by supporting activities to consolidate and strengthen the landslides
 Limiting the expansion / manifestation of landslides through the development of automated monitoring systems.
The eligible activities are:
• Infrastructure measures to strengthen and stabilize landslides, such as the demolition of illegally constructed buildings and facilities to further the development of the landslide, demolition of useless buildings and equipment, compromised due to  the development of the landslide
• Construction of facilities to lower the groundwater below the slide surface (horizontal drilling, assembly shafts, etc.) and to lead them out of the landslide area
• Construction of facilities suitable for the disposal of surface water out of the landslide area(trenches, ditches, drainage ribs, etc.)
• Infrastructure measures and building of new facilities to strengthen and embank the design of the landslide, surface drainage and deep drainage, anchor, pilot and pilot-anchor structures, drainage systems, ditches and pits, retaining walls, anchoring walls etc.)
• Construction of protective equipment for demolitions - strengthening the active part of Toppling cover with metal (wire) network, protective ditches, trap nets, trap walls, protective embankments, and other protective shelters.
• Vertical layout of the landslide area to ensure the stability of slopes
• Establishment of automated control and measurement systems (CIS) in order to monitor the behavior of the landslide after the implementation of infrastructural measures
Grants provided under this scheme and the first one, designed to support the landslides in urban areas, are estimated at EUR 23 287 144.89