EcoLur
On 18 July the pipe of Argitchi SHPP burst open and the water streams caused damage to people, the crop they grew up, environment and Lake Sevan ecosystem. It’s over a year since EcoLur, S.O.S Argitchi, and Gavar Aarhus Center have applied many times to Nature Protection Ministry with statements that “Hydrocorporation” LLC is constructing an illegal SHPP with expired documents. The Nature Protection Ministry didn’t react in any way to the requirements on conducting inspections and cessation of the illegal construction.
As a result, the SHPP was constructed and started producing electricity in 2013 under the project, where the documentation is dated back to 2006. It should be noted that the parameters laid down in the project of 2006 are near to marginal norms. The diameter of pipes should also be noted – 1700 mm.
The village heads of neighboring communities gave their go-ahead, though they knew this “go-ahead” is illegal and put their signatures under the documents, which the residents oppose to. No public hearings on the project were held. “Hydrocorporation” Company received a license from Public Services Regulatory Committee of Armenia.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, even though it didn’t grant any direct loan to Argitchi SHPP, it showed technical assistance to “Hydrocorporation” Company in the frames of Clean Development Mechanisms. Meanwhile the bank should have considered all probable risks and consequences, as well as legal substantiations of this project.
Thus questions arise: 1) how responsibility for the damage caused to people is distributed among all the bodies engaged in this process: “Hydrocorporation” Company, Public Services Regulatory Committee of Armenia, Nature Protection Ministry, EBRD and Community heads having signed illegal documents? 2) To what extent these competent bodies intend to compensate the losses incurred?
Five days have passed since the incident, but no structure hasn’t reacted in any way so far.
Photo by Vardan Galstyan
July 24, 2013 at 14:49