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EMOTIONS AROUND 'GARDEN OF DRAGONS' INTENSIFY
ArmInfo
2010-11-26 10:02:00
ArmInfo. Unless public hearings are held, no construction can be
carried out in Garden of Dragons. "We will hold public hearings only
with those people who live here; we will listen to you and you will
tell us what you want to construct and what kind of documents you
have. If you want to receive a positive expert opinion, construction
will be continued.
As Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan arrived in the site
development of the green garden in Nor Nork known as the Garden of
Dragons. It is several days since the construction of a block of flats
has started in the Garden of Dragons, while its model was stoutly
posted on the construction site, but after protest demonstration
participants appeared, this poster was immediately taken to the van
designed for workers. (See photos.)
The Minister arrived in the Garden of Dragons based on the request made
by the "Heritage" party, who raised the illegality of the construction
before the government in the course of parliamentary debates. The
party's main arguments were that the construction is conducted in
public territory without any permitting documentation.
Particularly, "Air Construction" Company doesn't have any positive
opinion from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Group. It
should be noted that one of the main components for expert assessment
is holding public hearings. Still on 19 November the construction must
have been stopped according to the Minister's decree. Nevertheless,
despite the decree, workers have surrounded the area with aluminium
baffles and dug out deep holes. According to eye witnesses, heavy
machinery had been working all the night. "But we did arrange no works
will be conducted till the expert assessment, public hearings should be
conducted and a solution - found," the Minister said. Deputy Head of
the State Environmental Inspection Karen Papoyan visited the garden
together with the Minister. "We drew up the act, tomorrow we will
provide a final conclusion, but the work was obviously continued,"
Papoyan said.
We've got the impression from the whole conversation that it's
extremely undesirable for the Ministry to hurtle with the site
developers. In reply to Company Executive Director Volodya Arakelyan's
promise to replant the trees in another place the Minister said, "Very
well, this must be corroborated with appropriate documentation." By
the way, what about the trees. As if by magic, traces from felling
disappeared during one night. Stepan Safaryan ("Heritage" Party) and
activist Mariam Sukhudyan started searching for the stubs according
to the photos taken several days ago. Part of the stubs turned out
to be burnt down, while the other part was covered with soil taken
from dug out ditches. But the representatives of authorities didn't
pay any attention to this. When Silva Adamyan proposed to stop all
the illegal construction in Yerevan carried out without the expert
assessment, the Minister said, "Don't prevent us from working."
The protest demonstration participants were decisive. "We won't
give this territory to you, here our children have played and our
grandchildren will also play games," said one of the residents. "Not
the company must be sued, but also those people who permit to act in
this manner," the other resident said.
It should be noted while waiting for government representatives, the
people took hammers and spades and started covering dug out areas. The
police arrived reacting to these actions, but they didn't exercise
any force.
From: A. Papazian
ArmInfo
2010-11-26 10:02:00
ArmInfo. Unless public hearings are held, no construction can be
carried out in Garden of Dragons. "We will hold public hearings only
with those people who live here; we will listen to you and you will
tell us what you want to construct and what kind of documents you
have. If you want to receive a positive expert opinion, construction
will be continued.
As Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan arrived in the site
development of the green garden in Nor Nork known as the Garden of
Dragons. It is several days since the construction of a block of flats
has started in the Garden of Dragons, while its model was stoutly
posted on the construction site, but after protest demonstration
participants appeared, this poster was immediately taken to the van
designed for workers. (See photos.)
The Minister arrived in the Garden of Dragons based on the request made
by the "Heritage" party, who raised the illegality of the construction
before the government in the course of parliamentary debates. The
party's main arguments were that the construction is conducted in
public territory without any permitting documentation.
Particularly, "Air Construction" Company doesn't have any positive
opinion from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Group. It
should be noted that one of the main components for expert assessment
is holding public hearings. Still on 19 November the construction must
have been stopped according to the Minister's decree. Nevertheless,
despite the decree, workers have surrounded the area with aluminium
baffles and dug out deep holes. According to eye witnesses, heavy
machinery had been working all the night. "But we did arrange no works
will be conducted till the expert assessment, public hearings should be
conducted and a solution - found," the Minister said. Deputy Head of
the State Environmental Inspection Karen Papoyan visited the garden
together with the Minister. "We drew up the act, tomorrow we will
provide a final conclusion, but the work was obviously continued,"
Papoyan said.
We've got the impression from the whole conversation that it's
extremely undesirable for the Ministry to hurtle with the site
developers. In reply to Company Executive Director Volodya Arakelyan's
promise to replant the trees in another place the Minister said, "Very
well, this must be corroborated with appropriate documentation." By
the way, what about the trees. As if by magic, traces from felling
disappeared during one night. Stepan Safaryan ("Heritage" Party) and
activist Mariam Sukhudyan started searching for the stubs according
to the photos taken several days ago. Part of the stubs turned out
to be burnt down, while the other part was covered with soil taken
from dug out ditches. But the representatives of authorities didn't
pay any attention to this. When Silva Adamyan proposed to stop all
the illegal construction in Yerevan carried out without the expert
assessment, the Minister said, "Don't prevent us from working."
The protest demonstration participants were decisive. "We won't
give this territory to you, here our children have played and our
grandchildren will also play games," said one of the residents. "Not
the company must be sued, but also those people who permit to act in
this manner," the other resident said.
It should be noted while waiting for government representatives, the
people took hammers and spades and started covering dug out areas. The
police arrived reacting to these actions, but they didn't exercise
any force.
From: A. Papazian