"DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY RIGHTS" NGO INTENDS TO SUE ARMWATERCANAL CJSC

Noyan Tapan
Aug 28 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, NOYAN TAPAN. "Armenia’s water system is corrupted".

Artashes Barseghian, chairman of the NGO "Development of Civil
Society Rights", and Hovik Arsenian, lawyer of the same NGO, made
this statement at a press conference on August 26. Particularly,
A. Barseghian said that living in the village of Qaghtsrashen of
Ararat marz for the past three years, he witnessed illegal actions
committed by officials of the water system, collected information
about it and intends to bring a lawsuit against Armwatercanal CJSC. H.

Arsenian added that by applying to court, they want to make the
company fulfil its obligations towards consumers based on agreements
signed. According to A.

Barseghian, over the past three years, the company collected 1 bln
drams from about 100 villages of the marz, however, no single pipe was
replaced or repaired in the indicated period. Besides, the company is
responsible for the quality of drinking water, whereas the tests done
by the laboratory of the National Institute of Health after Avdalbekian
revealed that the drinking water in the villages of Qaghtsrashen and
Dvin do not meet the requirements. Despite the fact that the water
poses a danger to consumers’ health, Armwatercanal requires that the
village inhabitants pay for it, otherwise threatening to cut off their
water supply. In A. Barseghian’s opinion, all this is a manifestation
of corruption. "I intend to invite tourists from abroad, but how can
I carry out my plans: these people will drink not clean water and
become infected," A. Barseghian said resentfully.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress