EcoLur
Over 520 Garni residents have put their signatures under the complaint – letter lodged to the Washington Headquarters on Qaghtsrashen gravity irrigation project, as Garni resident Sara Petrosyan told EcoLur. She mentioned that in their complaint-letter they described the public hearings held with violations, corruption risks, and not assessing the environmental and social impacts of the project. Washington has responded to Garni residents informing their complaint is being examined.
“Garni is a tourism zone and the social development of the population here is connected with tourism. When Azat Gorge is dried out, which is considered to be one whole notion together with Garni Temple and Khosrov Reserve, environmental problems arise because of the desertification of the area and they become valueless in terms of ecology and aesthetics. Besides, Garni is a primary tourism zone for the country in terms of economy and the state builds tourism strategy on Garni-Geghard highway. Nevertheless, this project doesn’t have any estimates what its adversary effect will be on tourism to develop it as strategy,” Sara Petrosyan said.
May 19, 2016 at 18:16