In Dagestan, Magaramkent District residents stand against demolition of their houses

About 70 residents of the Dagestani villages of Novo-Filya and Novo-Aul opposed the demolition of the houses that fell into the restricted zone of the Mozdok-Kazimagomed gas pipeline. Villagers call the decision to demolish their houses illegal and demand to cancel it. 

On June 23, a gathering of Novo-Filya residents took place in a street where houses are to be demolished by a court's decision. 

"In total, 24 houses came to our so-called restricted zone," said at the gathering Abdullah Bairamov, a resident of the Novo-Filya village. And he continued: "The lawsuit has been in consideration since 2014. The 'Gazprom-Makhachkala Transgaz' Company demands to demolish our houses, since they are built in an allegedly unacceptable proximity to a gas pipeline. According to the alleged standards, houses should be located 300 meters from a gas pipeline. People built houses on their legal land plots which were allocated to them as property more than 20 years ago, and no one told them no houses were permitted to be built there. Ordinary villagers live here, and they spent a lot of efforts to build those houses during many years. None of them have any other shelter, and if their houses are demolished, they will be left on the street." 

According to the local residents, if their houses are demolished, then more than 25 families, that is, about 150 people, including at least 50 children, will be left without shelter.