Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Putin orders winter preparations despite the heat"
The prime minister called for accelerating reconstruction of housing lost to wildfires.
Vladimir Putin monitored the restart of the third generating unit at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station from the government building in Moscow during a video conference with Sayanogorsk. The power station was damaged in an August 2009 accident.
"The accident resulted from a confluence of circumstances, but not from that alone. It also resulted from serious mistakes, which led to grave consequences, including fatalities," the prime minister said. But "despite the grave consequences of the accident, we managed to avoid the worst-case scenario."
One more generating unit is to become operational by the end of this year. The shortage of electricity in Siberia due to the accident is to be covered by the Boguchany power station, currently under construction. Until the Sayano-Shushenskaya station is repaired and the Boguchany station comes on-line, the region will receive electricity from other Russian regions.
Putin said preparations should be made to ensure that people have enough heat during the coming winter heating season no matter how cold it gets.
He also addressed the problems created by last summer's unusual heat, in particular the wildfires in which 40 people died and more than 2,000 were left homeless.
"I need restoration plans and housing construction schedules for each region, town, village and house. I need the lists of those affected by the fires, signed by regional leaders," Putin said. "The cost estimate for rebuilding housing will be based on actual market prices, with the lists of those affected by the fires checked thoroughly. Con-artists and crooks must not be given a chance to take advantage of this situation."
While helping the fire victims, measures must also be taken to better deal with such fires. "We need to equip all state helicopters – no matter what agency they belong to – with fire-fighting equipment, and to organise advanced training for flight crews," the prime minister said.
"If it becomes necessary, we should recruit volunteers and mobilise the workforce," Putin said.
Unfortunately, he added, "fire protection provisions in lease agreements sometimes turn out to be a mere formality, or leaseholders simply ignore them."
The prime minister also said attention should be paid to "critical infrastructure like transport, communications, power facilities and military sites."
He called for coordinating everyone in charge of these places. "We've had enough already without fires spreading to weapons storehouses," Putin said.
Nigina Beroyeva
