The mayor of Avannaata Kommunia, Lars Erik Gabrielsen (S), wants the previously inhabited settlement Illorsuit to be reopened. He said that to Sermitsiaq on 11 June. He has proposed a contingency tool for Illorsuit to be inhabited again. He has also presented his proposal to Sermitsiaq which he has presented to Naalakkersuisut earlier.
– There must be a radio chain on top of the rock that is at risk of slipping. In that radio chain, there will be cables towards the mountain. If the mountain slides, the cables will be torn over, and here the situation will be discovered so that the citizens will be alerted and can search their settlement.
The mayor of Avannaata Kommunia, Lars Erik Gabrielsen (S), wants the previously inhabited settlement Illorsuit to be reopened. He said that to Sermitsiaq on 11 June. He has proposed a contingency tool for Illorsuit to be inhabited again. He has also presented his proposal to Sermitsiaq which he has presented to Naalakkersuisut earlier.
– There must be a radio chain on top of the rock that is at risk of slipping. In that radio chain, there will be cables towards the mountain. If the mountain slides, the cables will be torn over, and here the situation will be discovered so that the citizens will be alerted and can search their settlement.
Do you think that it is justifiable with that solution in Illorsuit?
– Yes. Absolutely yes, said the mayor at the time.
Department: Not suitable for the area
However, such equipment is not suitable for the area in question, writes the Department for Business and Raw Materials in its reply to Sermitsiaq.
– Umiammakku Nunaat is a large area with many different gliding packages that move all the time and at different speeds. Many rockslides happen every day.
– Therefore, it will be difficult to install such cables in suitable places. Setting up such a system will trigger an alarm all the time and therefore not function as intended, writes the department.
According to the department, the mayor’s idea can be used individually in smaller, unstable mountain areas. Even so, it is not assessed as suitable in Umiammakku Nunaat in Karratfjorden.
50 years
The mountains in Umiammakku Nunaat could collapse within a period of 50 years, without knowing exactly when, the Emergency Preparedness Commission concluded in its risk report from 2024.
On that basis, Naalakkersuisut has assessed that it is dangerous to live in Illorsuit, said naalakkersuisoq for preparedness, Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco (IA), in Inatsisartut this spring.
According to a letter from the Department of Raw Materials to Sermitsiaq, this summer the department will test a warning system together with experts on landslides.
In the risk report from 2024, it is described, among other things, that if the worst possible thing happens in Illorsuit, namely that a mountain of around 200 million cubic meters in Umiammakku Nunaat collapses, the majority of Illorsuit will be hit by a tidal wave. According to the calculations, the waves will reach Illorsuit between 11 and 14 minutes after the landslide.
Sees breaking the law as an opportunity
According to Lars Erik Gabrielsen’s assessment, the settlement can be reopened immediately if the connections in Illorsuit are re-established.
– The connections just need to be re-established, it will not be expensive to open them. If Tusass does not want to participate, there is Starlink, he told Sermitsiaq on 11 June.
Starlink is an internet connection via satellites. Use of connections other than Tusass’ is prohibited in Greenland. It is stipulated by law that the autonomous company has a monopoly on running this type of business. Therefore, using Starlink in inhabited areas is a violation of the law.
Naalakkersuisoq for infrastructure has also previously confirmed this to Sermitsiaq.
– Use of Starlink outside of Tusass A/S is illegal, Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco has written.
