The Inspection Body for Environment Protection and Mining of the Republic of Armenia has dismantled and confiscated the illegally installed pipeline in the area of the Red Summit Crater Lake of Mount Azhdahak, which is designated as a Natural Monument.
It should be recalled that a few days ago, a video circulated on Facebook alleging that illegal water abstraction had been carried out from the Natural Monument for several years. The post says: “For more than 7 years now, illegal water abstraction has been carried out from the Red Summit Crater Lake of Mount Azhdahak in the Geghama mountain range, which, by the way, has been recognized as a Natural Monument since 2022. As a result, the surface area of the lake has been shrinking year by year. Back in 2020–2021, I personally appealed to Romanos Petrosyan, through whose efforts the Azhdahak and Red Summit mountains were granted monument status, yet the situation has not improved. There are only three crater lakes in the Geghama mountain range: Lake Armaghan, which dries up naturally every year; Red Summit, which is being dried up through illegal water abstraction; and soon it will be Azhdahak’s turn. Let us protect our mountains together, so that they may protect us in return.”
In response to the video, the Inspection Body officially announced that administrative proceedings had been initiated regarding the case.
On September 1, 2025, the Inspection Body reported that citizen T.Kh. had carried out illegal water abstraction from the crater lake through an unlawfully installed pipeline. “The illegally installed pipeline in the area of the Red Summit Crater Lake, which is a Natural Monument, has been dismantled and confiscated. Measures of liability will be applied against the offender,” the official statement says.
September 02, 2025 at 16:38