Speech by Ilham Aliyev at a meeting with the public of Badamdar settlement of Sabail District

The Development Program of Baku suburban areas is underway. Each suburb will have a concrete program, and thus it will enable us to speed up the development in living districts located around Baku. This program is being already elaborated and each district should soon have its solutions for all social and economic issues.

Badamdar District does also have problems pending for its resolution. We know it and will solve it. At first, we started by roads. Nice roads are being already constructed here. Overall, the total length of roads inside the district is 50 kilometers. It means that there is a lot to be done. But, we will do it. There is a water problem, and apparently, it is a matter of concern for us. This issue is being generally solved across the country, including Baku and Baku suburban areas. Gas pipelines should be replaced because of their obsolete status. In some cases, natural gas pressure is not called as satisfactory. In a word, all issues should find its resolution. We put an issue to build a new school. I have been told that though all requirements are respected at this school, all schoolchildren are studying here on the basis of double shift. This creates problems. It means that we should build a new school. Here, a new hospital should be also built by us. There is a need for that. We will treat all these issues in a complex manner. By the end of 2013, all social and economic issues of Baku suburban areas should find its resolution. The infrastructure should be reconstructed. There is no problem with providing power. But, power lines should be constructed here. It should be in line with modern requirements. In some places, it should go underground. As I say, gas supply, water and sewerage issues are very serious not only for this living district, but for the whole country.

In fact, Badamdar district is a part of the city. We would not even call it as a district because it has all urban infrastructures. This district is inside the city. But it has the status of a district. As it goes with all living districts, all work should be conducted appropriately in this place.

Today, I came here to ask you and listen to you about additional work to be carried out here. What are the most pressing issues for local residents? We should know it for its resolution.

This issue will find its obligatory solution. I will issue a special decree on the construction of this hospital to start the work immediately and additional resources will be allocated in the next year’s state budget to solve this issue. At the same time, the construction of a new school building should be envisaged also because there is a need for it. As you pointed out, the district enlarges its territory and increases its population. All infrastructure facilities should be built here in near future.

I know that there are some problems related to the natural gas supplies. In some cases, the pressure is low because pipelines are obsolete. Now, a large scale gas supplying work is being done all over the country. You wouldn’t find any region which has no gas supply. Now, gas pipelines are being constructed even remote villages. By the end of 2012, gas supplies should cover 90-95 percent of our country’s territory and it should have quality. In particular, these issues should be solved more swiftly in Baku and its suburban areas.

Unfortunately, potable water problem was topical for us. You pointed out that pipelines supplying water were constructed in Azerbaijan and Baku. Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev built the Shollar pipeline. Afterwards, great leader Heydar Aliyev built water pipelines. Now, Oguz-Gabala water pipeline is built. The specific nature of this pipeline is explained by the fact that water is formed at the expense of internal resources. It means that sources of the Kura and the Samur are located in the territories of other countries, and it makes us somewhat dependent on other countries.

I would like to declare again the specific nature of Oguz-Gabala-Baku pipeline is explained by the fact that this is spring water, and at the same time, it is being formed at the expense of internal resources. In future, we can augment the volume of water supplies by that pipeline.

Now, water storage facilities are being constructed in Badamdar and other places. After its commissioning, water supply process will improve further. At the same time, new pipelines should be constructed because pipelines built in the past came to obsolete status and in some cases, are rusting. We have to reconstruct all of them. This is a work which requires huge financial resources. At the same time, water and sewerage issues are very complicated work from technical point of view. Both issues should be solved in parallel in all districts, Baku and all regions. Now, a special water supply project is elaborated not only for Baku, but for each region. In some places, the work has started already. In some other places, we will start the work soon.

It means that the main infrastructure issues are the following: supply of water, sewerage service, natural gas, electric energy and construction of social infrastructure, hospitals, schools and roads. We deal with these issues. Programs are being implemented nationwide and Baku suburbs should not be left out of these programs. Each region has a regional development program. Often times, I visit regions and see the development. I want to see this development to happen in each place, village and district. In particular, the work should be carried out at the highest level in Badamdar which has a greatest history.

Truly to say, it is not possible to call Badamdar as a district. This is a city and is being formed as the city. It is inside the city. Of course, all the work here should be done in high level. It means that following the implementation of development program of Baku suburban areas, main issues will be solved within two years. This road construction is just the beginning. Other roads will be also built here. Then, lampposts should be installed alongside the road because there is no lighting here. It becomes dark in evenings. Every place should be in light. Now, we provide ourselves with power energy. We export our natural gas and oil to other countries. Therefore, each street should be in light here.