EcoLur
The opposition parties also take part in the protest demonstrations against the development of Hrazdan iron mine. The Hrazdan Bureau of ANC expressed its viewpoint.
Aram Bareghamyan, ex political prisoner, Member of Hrazdan Bureau of ANC.
“Usually ecology is not politicized, but all this is connected with people. The problem of Hrazdan iron mine refers not only to Hrazdan residents. This is a state issue and even security issue. We have warned not to continue works in Hrazdan mine and in the winter they (Chinese Company Fortune Oil) stopped their works and took the machinery away. I know that they are going to hold public hearings and it means they will be back. But I am sure that the mine won’t be developed – whole Hrazdan will rise to their feet.”
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Hakob Avakumyan, Head of Election Office of Parliamentary Candidate from ANC Sasun Mikayelyan: “When protest demonstrations were held, I wouldn’t say that all political forces or organizations gathered around this problem. Yes, there was some awakening. But here people are more attracted with jobs that are promised to be created. As soon as their living gets better, environmental issue will have priority.” You don’t intent to close down the cement plant, do you?” “Certainly no, but it is possible to compel them to operate the filters. Now these filters are placed. But when they need to increase the output, the filters are turned off. There are many problems. The village is in rather hard situation. Many people deal with agriculture directly where gold mine (Meghradsor) is developed. Still they develop in closed manner, but when they change to opencast development; all the toxic substances will flow into the Marmarik River. Disastrous situation will be not only for the village, but for all Ararat Valley. The problem is the cleaning station in Qakhsi Village where the sewage of Hrazdan and Tsakhkadzor flow into. The station doesn’t work, and all the sewerage will eventually get into Hrazdan water reservoir, from there through irrigation canals up to Ararat Valley… If to speak about 1992-1998, I think that environmental issues were not topical during the war. After the war, priority issues were forming a state, ensuring legislative basis. You could also eyewitness that we didn’t have such active soil development. Now we have another situation. What we would do with these issued licenses? I don’t think that the Republic of Armenia has a Nature Protection Ministry. The licenses they issue have no connection with the reality, so surface and fuzzy they are.”
May 04, 2012 at 18:02