Azersun News

LAND RECLAMATION WORKS UNDERWAY IN BILASUVAR

8 october, 2009

Erection works have been started beginning this year at the 3,400 ha plot of land – a part of Azersun Holding’ commitments – intended for draining away underground and excess waters.

In Bilasuvar, reclamation works are being carried out on 3400 ha arable land, which is part of Azersun’s long-term commitments. Such soil reclamation works on cultivated areas is also a common practice in the developed countries of the globe. Reclaiming lands in a planned manner will contribute to the improvement of fertility of soils saturated with saline and bitter waters.

A system should be in place on the areas, saturated with saline waters beneath the ground, for the removal of such ground waters so that soil could become favorable for plantation. With underground waters remaining in the soil, the land will lose fecundity. As a result, soil becomes barren and useless for cultivation. In agricultural term, this phenomenon is called "re-salinization of soil".

In whole, soil re-salinization is regarded as negative phenomenon.  It will take much efforts and consume investments to restore the fertility of land to previous condition.  Such processes occur in many parts of the world. Therefore, this issue is in the focus of the attention of global environmental communities.

There is probability that at least 30 % of arable lands in Azerbaijan are subject to the effect of re-salinization. Therefore, it is necessary to reclaim soil, in a manner organized according to plan, at lowland areas of Azerbaijan and then install special underground filter piping system designed for the removal of excess and underground waters from the area.  

Thus, beginning from this year, Azersun Holding has started on the erection works, as part of water removal program, being carried out on the 3,400 ha plot of land, which the company has assumed as commitment.  It is expected that soil salinity will reduce to considerable degree and land fertility will improve in terms of both quality and quantity.   

The work process goes as follows:

Filter piping 200 mm in diameter is laid at a depth of 3, 3.5 meter in the ground every 200, 300 or 400 meters apart. Then, the layer of mixed size sand, gravel and stone, 20 cm in thickness, is put around the pipe, which is afterwards completely backfilled from above.    
The filter piping is then connected perpendicularly to larger underground pipelines 600 and 800 mm in diameter accordingly. Excess ground waters run into these pipes, according to the design, and then move to drainage canal, from whence they are afterwards discharged in to the sea.

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