What Steps are Being Taken to Replace Old Buildings with New Ones? Sanosyan Answers

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan is confident that the main issue in Armenia is that the seismic strength of buildings constructed during the Soviet era does not match current standards. Sanosyan made this statement during a question-and-answer session in parliament with the government, responding to the inquiry from MP Khachatur Sukiasyan of the ruling party about what steps are being taken to replace old buildings with new ones.

Sukiasyan noted that it is necessary to replace buildings built during the Soviet era with new ones within approximately 10 years, which would comply with the new seismic safety standards. He stated, “Our region is fraught with earthquake risks, and such events are recorded periodically. Previously, it was thought that the maximum intensity here could be around 7 degrees on the Richter scale, and many buildings were constructed to that specification. However, the events following the Spitak earthquake demonstrated that stronger earthquakes could occur here, and the buildings do not meet the standards. It is also crucial to consider when the buildings were constructed, their wear and tear, and so on,” Sanosyan emphasized.

The Minister stressed that there are non-seismic buildings across the entire territory of Armenia, with the majority located in Yerevan. Depending on the current status of certain buildings, there have been recorded cases where people were evacuated, new buildings constructed, and residents relocated there. “Currently, a larger program is being implemented, where not just one but several buildings that share similar conditions are being registered. Yerevan City Hall is offering construction firms a program to demolish hazardous buildings and construct new ones,” Sanosyan stated.

He assured that this is a very good program and that there are new initiatives to implement such programs. At present, an active project is underway in Ajapnyak. He highlighted that there are numerous legal processes ongoing aimed at ensuring that the new buildings comply with seismic safety standards, with changes being made. Today's overall standards take into account all regulations—be it state construction like schools, kindergartens, or other administrative buildings, as well as in residential construction.