Some residents of the Verknebureinsky district of Khabarovsk Krai may have sighed deeply (not exhaled, but sighed!) when, in December 2018, the Bureya River (the Bureya Reservoir) was blocked by a huge spontaneous dam (about 70 km from the village of Chekunda).
2. From "Bureya anomaly" to a "landslide"
The situation developed both in the physical and in mental space.
A huge spontaneous reservoir formed upstream (above) the spontaneous dam.
There was a risk of flooding huge areas and of breaking (breakthrough) a spontaneous dam - with the movement of a huge wave in the direction of China.
As for the mental space, the accumulation of intellectual potential went on several vectors.
The phrase "Bureya anomaly" was gradually replaced by the word "landslide".
3. Strategic forecasts. "Speaker" from "scientists"
The most advanced minds developed a thought of such type: " ... the formed dam (in the length of about 800 m, in the width of more than 400 m and in the height of 80 m to 160 m). It is not possible to cope with it today, it is possible to get there only by snowmobiles, there can be no big technique ... "(https://todaykhv.ru/news/incident/17674/?sphrase_id=2600133).
"If a such a large amount of soil - about 3-4 million tons collapsed, neither the bulldozer nor any other equipment will not be able to cope," - said Makhinov TASS.
As the scientist emphasizes, the dam should not be removed, because it will take a huge amount of time, effort and money. He expressed confidence that the congestion would simply dissipate with time. " (https://iz.ru/827997/2018-12-26/ekspert-schel-nevozmozhnym-ustranenie-zatora-na-reke-bureia-pod-khabarovskom)
The generalizing word "scientists" appears in the messages. On behalf of "scientists," a well-known "speaker" is making statements.
"- For water itself to erode the dam, it will take decades," said Alexey Mahinov, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. " (https://todaykhv.ru/news/incident/17974/?sphrase_id=2600133)
"Scientists do not exclude that explosions can lead to further collapse of the hill into the river." (https://todaykhv.ru/news/incident/18035/?sphrase_id=2600133)
4. Emergency mode
"A regional emergency regime has been introduced in Khabarovsk Krai, an order signed by Governor Sergei Furgal following a trip to Verknebureinsky district to the site of a giant landslide." (https://todaykhv.ru/news/incident/18035/?sphrase_id=2600133)
5. The channel created. The movement of water began. The Bureya River was restored
"... Since the morning of February 1 [2019] water again enters the reservoir of the Bureya hydroelectric power plant.
"We have fulfilled the orders of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the tasks set by the Minister of Defense General Sergei Shoygu," said Dmitry Bulgakov TV channel "Zvezda". "Two artificially divided reservoirs on Bureya are connected (are united)." (https://todaykhv.ru/news/incident/18277/?sphrase_id=2600133)
6. The warnings about "new landslides" and "new" "congestion"
"- While blasting the congestion there have been several small landslides - the explosions is quite significant. These gatherings did not particularly aggravate the situation, but there are large rock ledges nearby that threaten to collapse, if not during explosions, then later. Landslides can also come down in the spring and summer after the snow melts, "said Alexey Mahinov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Geographical Sciences." (https://todaykhv.ru/news/incident/18381/?sphrase_id=2600133)
"[Kommersant of 20.02.2019, 21:03] the Deputy director on scientific work of Institute of water and environmental problems of the FEB RAS Alexey Makhinov, the participant of a research of the reasons of the landslide and a tsunami on the Bureya River in Khabarovsk Krai which created threat to work of the Bureya hydroelectric power station (see Kommersant of February 1), at a conference of the regional office of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) headed by it on February 20 submitted the report "The Bureya landslide: reasons and consequences". (...)
So, on the opposite (right) Bank there is a hill, which is also a threat and "over time can slide".
(...)
In the meantime, the estimates are quite pessimistic. According to the scientist, despite the measures to clear the rubble, there is a "high probability" of flooding of nearby villages during the flood (March-April).
When the melting of snow begins, the water level in the reservoir will rise to 8.5 m (262 m above sea level), which means that the village of Chekunda will be flooded. Alexey Mahinov specified that the authorities of the region have already made a decision to resettle Chekunda. On the village of Elga, also falling into the risk zone, there is no solution yet...
To aggravate the situation can fragments of trees that are in the water and now float. They can also form a jam (congestion). (...) Ernest Filippovsky, Khabarovsk; Tatiana Dyatel " (https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3890309)
7. Spontaneous destruction of spontaneous dam
"[May 7, 2019] - ... a water level dropped by almost eight meters in the last couple or three days. We contacted the crew from the Ministry of Emergency Situations who work at the site of the landslide. They told that the channel, which was punched by military, ... began to expand rapidly. The channel was originally 30-40 meters wide, and now about 150 meters. When the ice drift began, the water began to expand its passage. It started at night. People who are on the spot, were woked up with a terrible roar. At first, they say, thought that a new landslide came down. And in the morning ... [they] saw that the channel five times wider became, - said the resident of Chekunda Alexander Khudyakov. - At Chekunda the ice is still standing, but it is visible how the level rapidly falls. For those who do not want to leave our village, like my family, for example, it is a very pleasant event. But for those who want to leave, it 's not very good. After all, it turns out that there is no longer a threat to the settlement, and the move [resettlement] may be in question. " (https://todaykhv.ru/news/in-areas-of-the-province/19988/?sphrase_id=2600133)
8. The prospects Of Chekunda
The destiny of Chekunda was interested in the deputies of the Legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk krai. They held hearings at a meeting of one of the commissions.
From the message "Water situation on the territory of Russia on September 02, 2019" we can find out:
"Khabarovsk Krai. (...)
On the territory of Khabarovsk Krai there is a regime of emergency, introduced by the Order of the Government of Khabarovsk Krai dated 29.07.2019 Љ 623-rp in connection with rain floods, including:
- in Verkhnebureinsky district (the resolution of District Administration of 24.07.2019 No. 397); (...).
The emergency regime remains within the boundaries of the Verknebureinsky district, introduced by the decision of the Governor of Khabarovsk Krai No. 38-rp dated 19.01.2019 and the decision of the head of the district No. 2 dated 09.01.2019 in connection with the landslide on the Bureya reservoir (Bureya River). " (http://voda.mnr.gov.ru/activities/detail.php?ID=546841)
9. New elections - new hopes
Meanwhile, on September 8, 2019, elections are held for a new composition of the Legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk krai.
It can be assumed that the new composition of the Legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk region will be interested in the destiny of the Verknebureinsky district and the village of Chekunda.
10. Breathing gymnastics by exclusive method
An inhalation is followed by an exhalation - as is usually the case.
But the "Bureya anomaly" is a special case.
Between inhalation and exhalation, there is time to think about how to minimize the consequences of future floods (and they will).
September 8, 2019 08:24
Translation from Russian into English: September 9, 2019 05:29.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский ""Третье дыхание" Верхнебуреинского района или Простые рассказы о великой войне. Историческое эссе".