EcoLur
Garni-Yerevan highway is again blocked: on one side of the stones are Garni residents, on the other side – displeased drivers and policemen. The cause of the protest demonstration is the construction of Qaghtsrashen gravity irrigation system at the expense of Azat River water. 'We can water two or three times in the summer. Since 1935 we have been providing water to Artashat: Garni provided 1500 liters of drinking water to Yerevan: now after giving so much water, we have been left without water, a whole village has been left without water. But now our water is given to Artashat, where there is full of artesian water... Is it fair?' one of Garni residents complained.
The residents were angry as their land areas of 1200 ha had completely dried out and these areas turned into deserts.
One of the Garni residents told journalist Sara Petrosyan, 'Especially in season months – July- August-September, which was given in the substantiation to the World Bank to take the loan of 10 million USD, is a low-water season for Ararat Valley, so they should take water from here, but, as a matter of fact, there is no water than the environmental flow. Moreover, now it's discussed that the environmental flow of 800 l/s is too small and the legislation should be amended to have an environmental flow of 1200 l/s. In that case, taking any water from the Azat River is impermissible. Now we have to realized what is the sense to take out the loan of 10 million USD and to ruin the nature. As a matter of fact, we will lose the nature and gain nothing.'
Garni residents are proposing to construct solar power stations, wind mills and to operate the pumping stations with the electricity received from these stations.
'Let the solar stations and wind mills operate the pumping stations and not dry out the river, while all the illegal funds for Qaghtsrashen will be directed to the army development,' the residents said.
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April 13, 2016 at 18:14