the cemetery road cut in a village in Yvelines

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This is a problem that Christophe Nicolas would have done without. On Sunday November 3, 2024, the mayor of Évecquemont (Yvelines) learned of the formation of a fontis in a champ bordering the departmental 922.

The danger presented by the cavity of just over a meter in diameter and a depth of 30 meters forced him to close the path leading to the new cemetery. “The hunters had passed here in the morning, there was nothing,” he says. Coming back in the afternoon, there was a big hole. »

An old quarry condemned for almost 50 years

Has the worst been avoided? No doubt. A fall into this hole would certainly have been fatal. “Here, we don’t know the subsoil. This former gypsum quarry has been condemned since 1979.”

“There is no way to get there, other than rappelling a little further into a meter-wide well. Bringing a tractor here to backfill the quarry can be very dangerous. »

The elected official also says that on the day the fontis was formed, he got too close to the hole and had a blower taken by experts present on site. “They made me understand that I was unconscious, because there was only 30 centimeters of material under my feet. »

53 hectares of quarry in the village

Deep down, Christophe Nicolas hoped that such a problem would never arise. “In Évecquemont, there is a total 53 hectares of quarries on a total area of ​​250 hectares, he details. It is 1/5^e you village. As long as there are no fontis, we don't really realize the danger, we tell ourselves that it will last. »

“For decades, mayors have been passing the hot potato to each other. Today, we are paying for stupid things that were done a long time ago by the operators. For me, careers are the responsibility of the State. »

The mayor will write to the prefect

Christophe Nicolas plans to write to this effect to the prefect to request theeviction of all owners of plots (in fields or in the woods) located in the red zone.

After having the fontis noted by the General Inspectorate of Quarries and the services of the Greater Paris Seine & Oise urban community, the mayor did not wish to take no risk with its population.

“I issued orders, in particular to prohibit passage on Chemin de Tessancourt. A bailiff came to see on Thursday November 7 the system that had been put in place. If people continue to use the path, it will be their responsibility. »

A 2 km detour on foot

A problem that never comes alone, the mayor of Évecquemont must also resolve the issue of access to new cemetery… located at the end of the path. “For pedestrians, it is always possible to get there via Tessancourt-sur-Aubette. It's a 2 km walk and it's very steep… For cars on the other hand, the only means of access is the path which has just been closed. »

Christophe Nicolas expects to quickly be confronted with a problem in organizing funerals. “I cannot prohibit pedestrians from passing and at the same time allow a hearse to pass. We have two cellars which are available in theold cemeteryalso on the edge of the red zone… This is a very short-term solution. Two funerals go very quickly in a town, especially since there is a cardiology clinic here…”

In an impasse, the mayor will nevertheless have to find a solution. “The only one that is possible is to create a new path to the cemetery at the bottom of the town, avoiding the red zones. »

A question of responsibility

If the residents are understanding for the moment, Christophe Nicolas expects to be heckled. “I had on the phone a old lady who can no longer walk and who went to the cemetery every day to pay her respects at her husband's grave. Obviously, she is not happy. »

“But I would rather hear her moaning on the phone than not hearing her at all because she would have fallen into a hole. Especially if it's my fault because I didn't do anything to prevent it. »

“A legal obligation to inform” residents

Confronted with “[son] biggest problem » since he has been mayor, Christophe Nicolas hopes that solutions will be found soon.

In the meantime, he is urgently preparing with his teams a special magazinededicated to the subject of careers. “Residents will be able to find the quarry plans there. We have a legal obligation to inform them about this issue every two years. »

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