Demolition of Ida-Viru County's 'ghost' apartment blocks stalls

Local governments in Ida-Viru County have run into delays trying to demolish empty "ghost" apartment blocks due to project management issues. Fewer buildings will be knocked down than initially planned.
A state-funded project is underway in the eastern region to demolish empty apartment blocks which are a result of mass depopulation of the last 30 years.
According to the rescue services, demolishing the empty buildings will help to reduction the number of problematic hotspots in the area.
"This is not just a problem for the Rescue Board but also for the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), these buildings attract young people and individuals with a tendency for alcohol consumption. Bonfires are lit, various gatherings take place, which can lead to tragic consequences," said Tarmo Anton, head of the Ida-Viru County rescue region.
In Kohtla-Järve, it was planned to demolish 13 buildings, but this target will not be met by the deadline. Instead, only seven will be torn down. The city government blames the previous project manager.
"Everything went smoothly at first, but then problems arose. Since these issues lasted for half a year, we are now pressed for time. We have to do everything quickly, such as organizing tenders for both design and demolition at the same time," said Aivar Kamal, head of the financial service in Kohtla-Järve.

The demolition project in Kohtla-Järve and Narva-Jõesuu was led by Olga Batluk, who, according to city government representatives, unexpectedly abandoned her work.
Currently serving as an advisor at the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia, Batluk said in a written comment to ERR that she had made a significant contribution to the work. She added that the responsibility for implementing the projects ultimately lies with the city governments.
"According to our information, there is a right to claim compensation for failure to fulfill contractual obligations. There was no penalty clause in this contract. We are working on the issue of compensation and will see where it leads," Aivar Kamal said, commenting on the situation.
The seven buildings, all located in Kohtla-Järve's Sompa district, are planned to be demolished by the upcoming summer.
Kohtla-Järve's population has more than halved to approximately 35,000 since Estonia regained its independence in 1991. The population of Sompa has shrunk from 5,000 to 800 people.
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Editor: Helen Wright