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LAST RESORT?: GEGHARKUNIK RESIDENTS TURN INTO LIVE SHIELD TO PROTECT THEIR RIVER
By Karine Ionesyan
ArmeniaNow
Photo: www.ecolur.org
20.07.10 | 16:26
River Argitchi
A live shield appeared yesterday, July 19, on the Yerevan-Sevan
highway, when the residents of the Gegharkunik province blocked the
road to express their protest against the construction of a hydropower
plant on the Gayladzor stream of the Argitchi River.
Since the morning about 500 residents from six villages blocked the
Yerevan-Martouni section of the Sevan highway for about five hours
paralyzing traffic for more than 1,000 cars. Later on, Gegharkunik
marzpetaran (local administration body) employees arrived, and asked
for ten days to settle the issue.
"Residents turned to all competent government bodies, and they had
nothing else left to do in this respect. They are ready to repeat the
same step in ten days unless something is changed for the better,"
Lianna Asoyan, coordinator of the Aarhus Center in Armenia's
Gegharkunik province, told ArmeniaNow.
The river Argitchi is the biggest among 28 rivers flowing into Lake
Sevan. It secures 12 centimeters for the rise of the lake level
annually. The river provides irrigation water for more than 30,000
residents of six villages in Gegharkounik province. If the project
of changing the course of the Gayladzor stream flowing to the river
Argitchi is implemented, about 40 percent of Argirchi water will be
directed to Vayots Dzor province, which is in the opposite side of
Lake Sevan.
Asoyan says that Zangezour Eximp LLC is illegally conducting the
construction of a small hydropower plant on the Argitchi River though
the permit issued to this company says it is entitled to carry out
construction only on the tributary of the Eghegis River in Kapuyt Berd,
while construction works on the river Argitchi are illegal.
Environmentalists are sure that by means of changing the course of
the river, the level of Lake Sevan - the largest sweet water basin in
Armenia - will be dropped. The rise of Lake Sevan's level influenced
the lucrative businesses founded along the lakeshore during recent
years. Besides, the abrupt rise of Lake Sevan's level is considered
to be one of the most important environmental issues for Armenia,
where Lake Sevan is the main element of the whole ecosystem.
The RA Law on Lake Sevan, which prohibits the use of the lake's basin
water for other purposes, be it a hydro-power plant, irrigation or
some other purpose, is being violated because of the construction
of the hydropower plant. Besides, it is also dangerous for fish,
especially trout, since they spawn at the source of the river Argitchi.
From: A. Papazian
By Karine Ionesyan
ArmeniaNow
Photo: www.ecolur.org
20.07.10 | 16:26
River Argitchi
A live shield appeared yesterday, July 19, on the Yerevan-Sevan
highway, when the residents of the Gegharkunik province blocked the
road to express their protest against the construction of a hydropower
plant on the Gayladzor stream of the Argitchi River.
Since the morning about 500 residents from six villages blocked the
Yerevan-Martouni section of the Sevan highway for about five hours
paralyzing traffic for more than 1,000 cars. Later on, Gegharkunik
marzpetaran (local administration body) employees arrived, and asked
for ten days to settle the issue.
"Residents turned to all competent government bodies, and they had
nothing else left to do in this respect. They are ready to repeat the
same step in ten days unless something is changed for the better,"
Lianna Asoyan, coordinator of the Aarhus Center in Armenia's
Gegharkunik province, told ArmeniaNow.
The river Argitchi is the biggest among 28 rivers flowing into Lake
Sevan. It secures 12 centimeters for the rise of the lake level
annually. The river provides irrigation water for more than 30,000
residents of six villages in Gegharkounik province. If the project
of changing the course of the Gayladzor stream flowing to the river
Argitchi is implemented, about 40 percent of Argirchi water will be
directed to Vayots Dzor province, which is in the opposite side of
Lake Sevan.
Asoyan says that Zangezour Eximp LLC is illegally conducting the
construction of a small hydropower plant on the Argitchi River though
the permit issued to this company says it is entitled to carry out
construction only on the tributary of the Eghegis River in Kapuyt Berd,
while construction works on the river Argitchi are illegal.
Environmentalists are sure that by means of changing the course of
the river, the level of Lake Sevan - the largest sweet water basin in
Armenia - will be dropped. The rise of Lake Sevan's level influenced
the lucrative businesses founded along the lakeshore during recent
years. Besides, the abrupt rise of Lake Sevan's level is considered
to be one of the most important environmental issues for Armenia,
where Lake Sevan is the main element of the whole ecosystem.
The RA Law on Lake Sevan, which prohibits the use of the lake's basin
water for other purposes, be it a hydro-power plant, irrigation or
some other purpose, is being violated because of the construction
of the hydropower plant. Besides, it is also dangerous for fish,
especially trout, since they spawn at the source of the river Argitchi.
From: A. Papazian