Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Nov 25 2006
HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEM OF WATER SUPPLY?
LAURA GRIGORIAN
On November 17, the Social Committee of the NKR National Assembly
held hearings on the problems of water supply in Stepanakert and
other areas in the country. The chair of the committee Arpat
Avanessian said after the hearings the parliament will offer a
package proposal to the NKR government. The mayor of Stepanakert
presented the state of the water supply and sewage systems.
Stepanakert gets water from three rivers, four sources and 7 artesian
wells. The system includes two filtering stations, three pumping
stations in the city, 5 pumping stations for high-rise buildings. The
system was built several decades ago, and therefore, the entire
infrastructure is already worn, he said. The reservoirs, especially
the metal reservoirs are worn and are not fit to use. The filtering
stations cannot clean the water, which becomes highly turbid from the
spring torrents, because of the lack of reagents. Pumping stations
are too expensive for the company and are operated in summer only.
The mayor of Stepanakert said the circular pipeline built by Armenia
Foundation operates normally, whereas the network of pipes taking
water to the houses are 30-40 years old and need to be replaced.
Edward Aghabekian said there is a project involving the solution of
these problems, which will be implemented in three years according to
the national program adopted by the government. Afterwards the
members of parliament raised a series of questions: what efforts are
needed to solve the problems, what can the members of parliament do,
how can the city be provided with a 6-hour water supply? Arthur
Tovmassian, Hayrenik faction, asked these questions to the mayor. If
the government – City Hall relations are the reason for this
situation, it should be confessed. The members of parliament may
help. After all, people are suffering, said the member of parliament.
Edward Aghabekian denied these doubts and mentioned that the problem
of water supply has existed over the past ten years. Member of
Parliament Maxim Mirzoyan asked whether the amount of water is enough
to supply the town, and if yes, he proposed finding out where the
water is lost. Vladimir Arzumanian, the director of Water and Sewage
Company said the city gets enough water to supply people but 60-70
percent of water is lost due to the bad state of the pipes. Member of
Parliament Vahram Atanessian, chair of the Committee of External
Relations said the hearings were held too late because soon the
budget of 2007 will be confirmed by the government, whereas it is not
aware of all this. He also wondered why the members of government had
not been invited. `And maybe this infrastructure should be
privatized,’ he said. The chair of the social committee Arpat
Avanessian said the hearings were planned to be held in summer but
were delayed for certain reasons. Member of Parliament Maxim Mirzoyan
reminded that the final draft of the budget is adopted by the
parliament.