The government intends to use tax incentives in order to provide citizens and businesses with the “tools” they need to carry out a static inspection of their properties. Fears of a major upcoming earthquake in earthquake-prone Greece, which intensified after the twin devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey about a year ago, had then prompted the government to begin seismic checks on critical public infrastructure, which are expected to start within April. . In fact, a fund of 32.5 million euros has been secured from the Recovery Fund to carry out primary and secondary inspections of public buildings.
However, for the inspection of buildings owned by households or businesses, given the high costs involved, strong incentives had to be sought to mobilize private individuals. In the first phase, the co-competent bodies, such as the Organization for Antiseismic Planning and Protection (OASP) and the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), are working on a plan which is expected to be ready next September, which includes two central proposals for conducting pre-earthquake control in private buildings:
- Exemption from VAT of studies and services carried out for pre-earthquake control of existing buildings.
- Exemption from the taxable income of the works provided for by the respective studies of strengthening the buildings.
The proposal, which is modeled on the compulsory insurance of buildings against natural disasters, also includes the institutionalization of the allocation of a percentage of 10% of the revenue derived from the fines of the legalization of arbitrary to strengthen public and private buildings built before 1985. The total fines of the perpetrators currently exceed 5 billion euros. This particular design was preceded by a different proposal, which however found the door of Brussels closed, as it was supported only by the countries of the EU South. It proposed the creation of a program along the lines of “Save”, which would subsidize works to strengthen of the static adequacy of buildings. “The anti-seismic upgrade should precede the energy upgrade.
There are buildings with serious static problems that were upgraded through “Excoonamo” and in earthquakes they faced a particular problem. For example, in Crete, buildings that had undergone an energy upgrade, eventually suffered damage and the upgrade went awry, which often makes it difficult to control the buildings. Insulation and other materials cover the structural elements of the building and the damage is not visible from below”, says the president of OASP, professor Efthymios Lekkas, in “Vima”.
Inventory of buildings
However, according to him, the Greek proposal for the creation of a program to strengthen the static efficiency of private buildings was not accepted by the EU. seismic problems, they don’t understand them. Only Italy, Spain and Portugal were in favor. In any case, we will try. With the president of the TEE, we will make an intervention next month, so that we can communicate this proposal to public opinion and the government,” Mr. Lekkas points out.
At the same time, the check for the static adequacy of public buildings is not progressing at a fast pace. The OASP gave a new last deadline (until March 8) to the public bodies and the municipalities to list their buildings on the special platform for the pre-earthquake control of buildings, warning them that the controls to be followed by the engineers will only concern the buildings that will have been registered. To date, approximately 30,000 buildings (schools, medical facilities, etc.) have been declared, from which the approximately 2,000 engineers registered in the TEE’s Pre-Earthquake Inspection Engineers Register will begin primary inspections.
The goal, according to Mr. Lekkas, is to start the autopsies in public buildings within April, to be followed by the secondary (with special machines) in as many constructions as are deemed necessary.
Fears of a major earthquake in Turkey
At the same time as Greece is expected to begin seismic testing of buildings, neighboring Turkey lives under the threat of another major earthquake, this time in Istanbul, up to 7.5 on the Richter scale, according to Turkish estimates and Greek seismologists, but also scientific groups around the world. Already last December, Turkish seismology professor Naci Gyorur had warned of a major earthquake in Istanbul.
The North Anatolia fault is considered one of the most dangerous in the world and runs through Northern Turkey, from the Caspian to the west and reaches the Aegean Sea in a length of 1,300 km. In 1939 it had produced a 7.9 Richter earthquake in its eastern part, while in 1999 the 7.5 Richter earthquake had an effect, according to seismologists, in our country as well, as 20 days later the devastating 5.9 Richter earthquake followed in Athens. According to Mr. Lekka, in the North Anatolia fault only one part has not broken and has not produced a major earthquake, and it is the one located in the underwater area south of Istanbul.
Whether an earthquake in this region can affect Greece is also a question for scientists, as it depends on exactly where it will occur, its size, its dynamics and other elements that will determine its consequences in the wider region . However, in general the earthquakes of the North Anatolian fault mainly affect the Aegean region, usually far from populated areas.
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