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Saravan Hydroelectric Station Built Without Village Municipality's
Permission. Villagers' Complaints are Fruitless
Kristine Aghalaryan
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/19213/saravan-hydroelectric-station-built-without-village-municipalitys-permission-villagers-complaints-are-fruitless.html
17:01, October 5, 2012
The Nazaryan family has replaced its old windows with newer
double-glazed windows so, once and for all, they can block the noise
caused by the small hydroelectric station next to them. The couple's
small child is put to sleep in the room at the back so he doesn't wake
from the noise. Hayk says that the new windows didn't solve the
problem; the noise can still be heard, especially when all 3
generators of the station are in operation.
Firma G.A.Kh. Ltd., founded by Gagik Khachatryan and Aram Azatyan, has
built the small Saravan Hydroelectric Station having an installed
capacity of 2470 kW on the Darb Stream of Arpa River in Saravan
village, Vayots Dzor. However, the village mayor didn't sign any
documents approving the hydroelectric station, and the station wasn't
built on the site initially designated for it, which was outside the
village and which wouldn't endanger the villagers' health.
Saravan village mayor Simon Babayan says he returned from his vacation
and only then saw that the station was built somewhere other than was
agreed ' on an individual owner's land.
"It's an arbitrary construction," he says, adding that there's been a
lot of drama connected to the station. "They've been hit with an
administrative fine, but they neither comply nor do anything. We write
the administrative fine and send it ' they don't reply to the letters
and don't accept them."
The land where the hydro plant is currently stationed is immediately
adjacent to the residential area of the village, and the noise from
the plant is so loud that residents were forced to complain to the
president of the country. Gagik Khachatryan, one of the owners,
assured the villagers that he'll install double-glazed windows on the
hydro plant building and the noise won't bother them, but the noise
didn't disappear even after the new windows were installed. And it's
been this way for over a year.
The hydro plant has been operational since summer of last year, and
employees on several occasions have cut the villagers' irrigation
water. "Last year there was a problem, and I went with my car to the
[water] source. We put a water meter there, stamped it that there
shouldn't be more than this much water consumed, and this is how the
problem was solved," says the community's leading specialist Razmik
Manukyan.
But the problem hasn't been solved: this year villagers didn't get
irrigation water during the season, and the river has become parched,
since the hydro plant has consumed the water. Upon hearing residents'
complaints, the Vayots Dzor division of the RA Ministry of Nature
Protection's National Environmental Inspectorate intervened.
Department chief Vahik Grigoryan informed Hetq that due to the
complaints he went to the site and discovered violations, and for not
meeting the appropriate environmental standards he fined the hydro
plant 150,000 AMD (about $368 USD). "Several times, occasionally on
the complaints of the community leader and of the residents, we went
to the hydro plant, and each time we issued different types of
cautions," he said.
However, problems still persist. A part of the hydro plant's pipeline
passes through land owned by villagers. Initially, the landowners
weren't compensated and only after residents complained did they get
trivial financial compensation ' 5,000 to 20,000 AMD (about $12 to
$49). "If they leased a similar area even in Yerevan or somewhere
else, definitely the amount wouldn't be less than 100,000 AMD [about
$245]; especially since they are making profit from it," says leading
specialist Razmik Asatryan.
The village mayor, Babayan, is sure that the servitude agreement was
signed with several exceptions. "That which was supposed to transfer,
to smooth, [in fact] ruined the paths through the fields and didn't
repair them."
"A basic thing that we're saying: at least let them provide nighttime
lighting for the village ' they don't want to do that either,"
complains Razmik. "You've put this huge thing in the village '
shouldn't you help villagers with anything?"
The village mayor has yet to sign the legal act permitting the hydro
plant's operations. A few times they wrote administrative fines and
sent them, but the letters were returned. And in answering the phone,
one of the hydro plant owners, Khachatryan, always says he's not in
the country.
"I appealed to the regional governor in writing; because of this the
urban development inspectorate head was replaced. In short, lots of
problems; I haven't signed the acts and [the hydro plant] continues to
operate; it doesn't have a certificate. I haven't even signed the
completion act. I can't understand what its fate will be," says the
mayor.
This isn't Khachatryan's only hydro plant: he has another one in
Vardahovit; another in Syunik; while in Goghtanik, another Vayots Dzor
village, construction work is being completed. However, Saravan
residents say that Khachatryan has promised to move the plant. But he
has yet to fulfill his promise. As for how dangerous the noise is for
village residents, no state inspectorate has checked.
P.S. In Goghtanik, hydro plant employees worked for several months but
haven't received their pay. Khachatryan informed Hetq that problems
arose with the director and employees will definitely be paid. We will
monitor the situation.
Permission. Villagers' Complaints are Fruitless
Kristine Aghalaryan
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/19213/saravan-hydroelectric-station-built-without-village-municipalitys-permission-villagers-complaints-are-fruitless.html
17:01, October 5, 2012
The Nazaryan family has replaced its old windows with newer
double-glazed windows so, once and for all, they can block the noise
caused by the small hydroelectric station next to them. The couple's
small child is put to sleep in the room at the back so he doesn't wake
from the noise. Hayk says that the new windows didn't solve the
problem; the noise can still be heard, especially when all 3
generators of the station are in operation.
Firma G.A.Kh. Ltd., founded by Gagik Khachatryan and Aram Azatyan, has
built the small Saravan Hydroelectric Station having an installed
capacity of 2470 kW on the Darb Stream of Arpa River in Saravan
village, Vayots Dzor. However, the village mayor didn't sign any
documents approving the hydroelectric station, and the station wasn't
built on the site initially designated for it, which was outside the
village and which wouldn't endanger the villagers' health.
Saravan village mayor Simon Babayan says he returned from his vacation
and only then saw that the station was built somewhere other than was
agreed ' on an individual owner's land.
"It's an arbitrary construction," he says, adding that there's been a
lot of drama connected to the station. "They've been hit with an
administrative fine, but they neither comply nor do anything. We write
the administrative fine and send it ' they don't reply to the letters
and don't accept them."
The land where the hydro plant is currently stationed is immediately
adjacent to the residential area of the village, and the noise from
the plant is so loud that residents were forced to complain to the
president of the country. Gagik Khachatryan, one of the owners,
assured the villagers that he'll install double-glazed windows on the
hydro plant building and the noise won't bother them, but the noise
didn't disappear even after the new windows were installed. And it's
been this way for over a year.
The hydro plant has been operational since summer of last year, and
employees on several occasions have cut the villagers' irrigation
water. "Last year there was a problem, and I went with my car to the
[water] source. We put a water meter there, stamped it that there
shouldn't be more than this much water consumed, and this is how the
problem was solved," says the community's leading specialist Razmik
Manukyan.
But the problem hasn't been solved: this year villagers didn't get
irrigation water during the season, and the river has become parched,
since the hydro plant has consumed the water. Upon hearing residents'
complaints, the Vayots Dzor division of the RA Ministry of Nature
Protection's National Environmental Inspectorate intervened.
Department chief Vahik Grigoryan informed Hetq that due to the
complaints he went to the site and discovered violations, and for not
meeting the appropriate environmental standards he fined the hydro
plant 150,000 AMD (about $368 USD). "Several times, occasionally on
the complaints of the community leader and of the residents, we went
to the hydro plant, and each time we issued different types of
cautions," he said.
However, problems still persist. A part of the hydro plant's pipeline
passes through land owned by villagers. Initially, the landowners
weren't compensated and only after residents complained did they get
trivial financial compensation ' 5,000 to 20,000 AMD (about $12 to
$49). "If they leased a similar area even in Yerevan or somewhere
else, definitely the amount wouldn't be less than 100,000 AMD [about
$245]; especially since they are making profit from it," says leading
specialist Razmik Asatryan.
The village mayor, Babayan, is sure that the servitude agreement was
signed with several exceptions. "That which was supposed to transfer,
to smooth, [in fact] ruined the paths through the fields and didn't
repair them."
"A basic thing that we're saying: at least let them provide nighttime
lighting for the village ' they don't want to do that either,"
complains Razmik. "You've put this huge thing in the village '
shouldn't you help villagers with anything?"
The village mayor has yet to sign the legal act permitting the hydro
plant's operations. A few times they wrote administrative fines and
sent them, but the letters were returned. And in answering the phone,
one of the hydro plant owners, Khachatryan, always says he's not in
the country.
"I appealed to the regional governor in writing; because of this the
urban development inspectorate head was replaced. In short, lots of
problems; I haven't signed the acts and [the hydro plant] continues to
operate; it doesn't have a certificate. I haven't even signed the
completion act. I can't understand what its fate will be," says the
mayor.
This isn't Khachatryan's only hydro plant: he has another one in
Vardahovit; another in Syunik; while in Goghtanik, another Vayots Dzor
village, construction work is being completed. However, Saravan
residents say that Khachatryan has promised to move the plant. But he
has yet to fulfill his promise. As for how dangerous the noise is for
village residents, no state inspectorate has checked.
P.S. In Goghtanik, hydro plant employees worked for several months but
haven't received their pay. Khachatryan informed Hetq that problems
arose with the director and employees will definitely be paid. We will
monitor the situation.