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Major problems in Armenia's north-western border village
tert.am
17:29 - 08.07.12
The village of Ashnak, situated near Armenia's north-western border
(Argatsotn province), has around 1,500 residents and 400 households,
with very few dwellings being totally shut up.
Speaking to Tert.am, the community's governor, Gevorg Martirosyan,
said such houses make up 1%-2% in the village. According to him, many
of their residents travel abroad for seasonal work in summer but they
later return home.
`A major problem in the village is the absence of jobs. Ninety percent
of the youth is unemployed and is dreaming about finding work. We ask
and call for opening some workshop so as our youth could go and work
there,' he said.
The people in the village earn their living predominantly by
cattle-breeding and gardening, things that Martirosyan said are only
enough for making both ends meet.
Irrigation water has been a major concern in Ashnak for several years now.
`Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, we received pump station
water from the Akhuryan river. But today, we no longer have that
opportunity. A villager has to rely on rainfalls in spring, but this
year saw a draught, as you know, so there will be no more grain from
the 100- hectare of sown areas of Ashnak,' said Martirosyan, adding
that the chief of the Territorial Administration Ministry's Water
Economy Department has promised to provide a solution to the problem.
Drinking water too, appears to be a problem in the village as the
shortage of irrigation resources causes most villagers to use drinking
water for their gardens.
`There is one spring today for the entire village. We supply drinking
water to the population for [limited] hours - three hours in one
district and three hours in another. The village will not have a
drinking water shortage if the problem of the irrigation water is done
away with,' he noted.
Matevosyan further spoke of asphalt pavement problems, noting that
most highways in Ashnak do not have an asphalt surface at all. The
community governor said that he has turned even to the president with
the problem and is hopeful to receive a positive response in the near
future.
tert.am
17:29 - 08.07.12
The village of Ashnak, situated near Armenia's north-western border
(Argatsotn province), has around 1,500 residents and 400 households,
with very few dwellings being totally shut up.
Speaking to Tert.am, the community's governor, Gevorg Martirosyan,
said such houses make up 1%-2% in the village. According to him, many
of their residents travel abroad for seasonal work in summer but they
later return home.
`A major problem in the village is the absence of jobs. Ninety percent
of the youth is unemployed and is dreaming about finding work. We ask
and call for opening some workshop so as our youth could go and work
there,' he said.
The people in the village earn their living predominantly by
cattle-breeding and gardening, things that Martirosyan said are only
enough for making both ends meet.
Irrigation water has been a major concern in Ashnak for several years now.
`Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, we received pump station
water from the Akhuryan river. But today, we no longer have that
opportunity. A villager has to rely on rainfalls in spring, but this
year saw a draught, as you know, so there will be no more grain from
the 100- hectare of sown areas of Ashnak,' said Martirosyan, adding
that the chief of the Territorial Administration Ministry's Water
Economy Department has promised to provide a solution to the problem.
Drinking water too, appears to be a problem in the village as the
shortage of irrigation resources causes most villagers to use drinking
water for their gardens.
`There is one spring today for the entire village. We supply drinking
water to the population for [limited] hours - three hours in one
district and three hours in another. The village will not have a
drinking water shortage if the problem of the irrigation water is done
away with,' he noted.
Matevosyan further spoke of asphalt pavement problems, noting that
most highways in Ashnak do not have an asphalt surface at all. The
community governor said that he has turned even to the president with
the problem and is hopeful to receive a positive response in the near
future.