Restoring Odesa: Rybalska Balka Street After the Storm

In Odesa, restoration work is ongoing on Rybalska Balka Street following a catastrophic storm. This street suffered severe damage due to an unusual downpour on September 30. The torrents of water that rushed down caused significant soil erosion and almost complete destruction of the road infrastructure.

Local residents report that such flooding levels haven't been seen in decades. The situation was complicated by works carried out last year by unknown individuals on the slope where the ‘Odesky’ sanatorium is located. Those works were halted, but after the storm, there was a real threat of the sanatorium's fence collapsing.

According to Odesa's first deputy mayor Oleksandr Filatov, a number of legal violations related to illegal land privatization were uncovered during the cleanup process.

This concerns two state acts issued in 2008 and 2009 based on a court ruling granting ownership rights to land that belongs to the community, essentially the road itself.

“The city authorities have already begun a review of all ownership documents related to developments along the balka. Simultaneously, legal actions are being prepared against activities that contradict existing legislation prohibiting the privatization of communal lands without local government consent,” said Odesa's mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.

Currently, municipal services are continuing to clean the area of mud and debris.

Temporary solutions for drainage are being implemented, and a new section of the collector is being designed to ensure the stable functioning of Rybalska Balka Street in the future.