Work is well-underway to reconstruct communal areas in the apartment buildings that have sustained damage level equal to DS1-DS2-DS3 Durres. The rehabilitation project is divided into none lots and is financed by the Albanian government through the state budget funds. The rehabilitation includes the facades, stairs and the elevator shaft walls in these buildings. Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by Durres Mayor Emiriana Sako, inspected again the reconstruction process in the coastal city, one of the worst-hit areas because of the devastating earthquake on Nov 26 last year.
The government head visited one of the apartments in a building with damage level equal DS3, where work is currently underway to repair interior walls, a process that couldn’t be carried out prior to the building’s facade reconstruction. “This is a building with damage level equal to DS3, where work has commenced to repair the communal areas. There are collapsed interior walls, which have been rebuilt from scratch. We are visiting an apartment on the first floor. The wall has been rebuilt from scratch. This family has already received the government’s compensation grant, but the work to reconstruct interior premises could not be carried out without the facade’s reconstruction complete. This family also benefits a monthly bonus rent. The 5 million lek fund allocated by the government will cover costs for plastering, painting, and tiles installation and so on and so forth,” Durres Mayor said.
Prime Minister Rama underlined that the government is doing utmost efforts on its part to make sure that majority of the quake-affected families move into their better and much stronger houses on the New Year’s eve, although the reconstruction process certainly takes time to fully complete. “You know we are doing our best, even though as much as we would have wished for, since time is the king. The reconstruction work takes time, but it is important that the quake-affected families in this city have been all housed in rented houses. In the meantime, these families have also received compensation to cover the interior repair costs. It took a whole process that included damage assessment, verifications, documents, complaints and the projects designing process. All contracted builders are now working to implement the reconstruction projects. There are two more lots that need to complete, along with seven lots focusing on reconstruction of the communal areas in the apartment buildings. In the meantime, reconstruction of the interior premises has completed and you can now begin to carry out minor repairs. It is important that you move into your stronger and better homes ahead of the New Year’s Eve,” the premier said.
Most of the work designed to reconstruct buildings with damage level equal to DS1 and DS3 has already completed, while situation regarding buildings with damage level equal to DS4 seems to be more complex. “Great work has been done. We are heading towards completion as situation concerning the buildings with damage level equal to DS1 and DS3 has been solved. Situation is somehow more complex when it comes to the apartment buildings with damage level equal to DS4. The projects designing process has already started about 143 apartment buildings,” Mayor Sako said.
The Premier also inspected another residential building in one of the worst-hit areas, where he met with local residents, who have had the opportunity to closely supervise the reconstruction works in their houses.
