EcoLur
In Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan’s opinion, SHPPs can’t impact on fish reserves. Fish poachers are to be blamed. Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan expressed such an opinion at the final press conference for 2013. What about granting water usage permits the Minister mentioned, “We are the first in the region both in regard with water code and water basin management plans. First of all, I should say, that in the first quarter of 2014 we will have the results of hydrogeological studies, secondly, our ministry grants water usage permits on a temporary basis – three years. In the viewpoint of permits we haven’t exceeded the amount, just opposite.”
The environmentalists don’t share this opinion with the Minister, who have noted many times that such ruthless use of water resources in Armenia may lead to a disastrous situation - 150 SHPPs in different communities of the country and 220 fish farms in Ararat Valley. The situation in Ararat Valley is already disastrous. Even the Nature Protection Ministry mentions this, but the Minister doesn’t see any problem in the sector of SHPPs and considers the opinions about drying of rivers and loss of biodiversity unreasonable.
՛՛SHPP doesn’t take water and loses it, it’s impossible – whatever we take from nature, we give it back. Jist we should ensure environmental flow,” the Minister said.
The environmental flow should be prescribed by the law, which the business entities should be guided by. But the law supports business, while developing companies forget about restrictions. In this regard, the Ministry has to perform control and to set proper punishments for the offenders.
Under Aram Harutyunyan, the Ministry is performing environment supervision and brought the example of Amberd SHPP constructed on the Amberd River in Aragatsots Region.
In regard with granting positive opinions to SHPP projects the Minister stated that Ministry’s positive opinion is impossible without the positive opinion of the community, “I can state no positive opinion of the Ministry is possible if the opinion of the community is negative.”
What about the scandal with “Martziget -1” SHHP, where the villagers threw its pipes into the gorge, then blocked the road to Georgia, the Minister first spoke about the mission of SHPP in the whole world, then he added they have the minutes of the public hearings: no word about protesting villagers and their rights.
What about Arpa – 3 SHPP, where only one Jermuk resident took part in the public hearings, the Minister’s response was the following, “Why do you go to the hearings also, why didn’t say a dozen people to attend it, do you think I should do it?”
So, first we should blame fish poachers, then journalists, while business entities together with the ministry bear no responsibility for the dry rivers, extinct biodiversity, problems and conflicts arising in the communities.
This material was made possible through the full support of Open Society Foundations – Armenia’s Policy Fellowship Program Initiative, grant number 18571. Ideas, thoughts, and arguments presented in the paper are the sole expression of the author’s views and do not reflect those of Open Society Assistance Foundations – Armenia.
January 15, 2014 at 13:13