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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST : HYDROPLANT CONSTRUCTION THREATENS ONE OF ARMENIA'S PICTURESQUE WATERFALLS
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
16.09.11 | 15:04
Photo: www.ecolur.org
Environmentalists sound an alarm that the Trchkan waterfalls on
the border of Armenia's northern Shirak and Lori provinces is now
endangered, because of the ongoing construction of a small hydropower
station. They are concerned that the shifted river course will disrupt
the waterfalls and will harm the surrounding ecosystem which would
eventually vanish completely.
"The waterfalls will serve only to fill the pockets of certain people
and for a short-term economic gain, and over the years we'll lose
another beautiful natural monument," Susanna Elbakyan, head of the
Gyumri-based Srbazan Hogh (Sacred Soil) NGO, told ArmeniaNow.
Experts cite data showing that the Trchkan waterfalls are the second
highest in Armenia and can be a tourist attraction site due to the
beauty of the area. By the contract it will operate as waterfalls
only during three summer months, and would be shut down by changing
the river course towards the hydropower station.
"It will become a "push-button" waterfall, and it's a big question
whether years later the company exploiting the station would want to
keep spending money on changing the river flow, opening and closing
the waterfalls," Naira Petrosyan, member of Preserve the Trchnak
Waterfalls initiative group, told ArmeniaNow.
Last week environmentalists held a protest in front of the government
building demanding to suspend the construction, and as a result
Environment Minister Aram Harutyunyan promised to look into the issue
and study the documents permitting construction.
For ten days the construction works were halted; however,
environmentalists are concerned that it's not a solution to the
issue for as long as the company possesses permissions granted by
all inspectorates and respective bodies.
"How could such permission be granted when the waterfall is on the list
of Armenia's natural monuments as a hydrographic monument and by the
law on protected natural areas any kind of construction endangering
the preservation of the given natural monument is forbidden on
its territory? Halting it is not a solution, it should be stopped
permanently," says environmental activist Mariam Sukhudyan.
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
16.09.11 | 15:04
Photo: www.ecolur.org
Environmentalists sound an alarm that the Trchkan waterfalls on
the border of Armenia's northern Shirak and Lori provinces is now
endangered, because of the ongoing construction of a small hydropower
station. They are concerned that the shifted river course will disrupt
the waterfalls and will harm the surrounding ecosystem which would
eventually vanish completely.
"The waterfalls will serve only to fill the pockets of certain people
and for a short-term economic gain, and over the years we'll lose
another beautiful natural monument," Susanna Elbakyan, head of the
Gyumri-based Srbazan Hogh (Sacred Soil) NGO, told ArmeniaNow.
Experts cite data showing that the Trchkan waterfalls are the second
highest in Armenia and can be a tourist attraction site due to the
beauty of the area. By the contract it will operate as waterfalls
only during three summer months, and would be shut down by changing
the river course towards the hydropower station.
"It will become a "push-button" waterfall, and it's a big question
whether years later the company exploiting the station would want to
keep spending money on changing the river flow, opening and closing
the waterfalls," Naira Petrosyan, member of Preserve the Trchnak
Waterfalls initiative group, told ArmeniaNow.
Last week environmentalists held a protest in front of the government
building demanding to suspend the construction, and as a result
Environment Minister Aram Harutyunyan promised to look into the issue
and study the documents permitting construction.
For ten days the construction works were halted; however,
environmentalists are concerned that it's not a solution to the
issue for as long as the company possesses permissions granted by
all inspectorates and respective bodies.
"How could such permission be granted when the waterfall is on the list
of Armenia's natural monuments as a hydrographic monument and by the
law on protected natural areas any kind of construction endangering
the preservation of the given natural monument is forbidden on
its territory? Halting it is not a solution, it should be stopped
permanently," says environmental activist Mariam Sukhudyan.