Friday, May 20 2016 10:57

 The inhabitants of Garni village have shut off the main road to Garni-Yerevan route demanding to cancel construction of gravity water supply system of Qaghtsrashen, which is illegal in their viewpoint. The new system will deliver water from Azat River through pipes to two communities of Garni, the lands of which according to villagers belong to Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan. 

As Arusyak Ayvazyan, inhabitant of Garni village, told ArmInfo's correspondent the authorities try to solve the problem of irrigation of their own lands creating ecological problems both for Garni Gorge and Azat River, which in case of the project implementation will be under danger of bogginess. 

She also informed that the inhabitants of Goght village have also joined the protest, as they are concerned over the fate of Geghard Lake. According to the protesters the waters of the lake will be pumped up to neighboring communities, the lands of which belong to Head of Control Chamber of Armenia Ishkhan Zakaryan. According to Ayvazyan those communities are abandoned, no one lives there while in case the project is implemented inhabited communities of Goght will be left without water, besides the ecosystem of the lake will be damaged and will face bogginess. 

Ayvazyan informed that the protest of the inhabitants of Garni and Goght will be timeless. "We are intending to keep the road shut until the authorities cancel their illegal decisions on construction of man- made irrigation systems on Azat River and Geghard Lake", she stated adding that at the moment the protesters do not want to meet the authorities until they arrive in the village with the decision on canceling the construction activities. She also stated that in case these illegal activities continue the inhabitants of Garni will block the pipe supplying drinking water to the districts of Yerevan. 

To note, the World Bank finances the project on construction of gravity water-supply system of Qaghtsrashen.