FIRST STAGE OF PROGRAM ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (GARBAGE DISPOSAL) IN
CITY OF IJEVAN COMPLETED

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YEREVAN, JUNE 21, NOYAN TAPAN. During the first stage of the program on
solid waste management (garbage disposal) in the city of Ijevan, a
water-collecting station was build which will be used for irrigation,
street cleaning purposes, as well as by fire services. Besides, a
garbage truck worth 13.5 mln drams (about 50 thousand USD) was
purchased within the framework of the program, Ijevan mayor Varuzhan
Nersisian said at the June 20 press conference.

According to him, as a result of discussions with Ijevan residents in
2002, the program on the most important problem of the city – garbage
disposal (through 2012) was developed and implemented with the
assistance of Ameria consulting company (Armenia) and the Department
for International Development (DFID – the UK). The mayor said that the
municipality will apply to the British side with the request to help
obtain a vacuum-cleaning car.

It was mentioned that some other problems, including management of
Ijevan’s dump, solid waste processing, cleaning of the water-logged
White Lake artificial reservoir shall be solved under the program.
Considerable investments are needed, whereas the Armenian government
and the city municipality do not have an opportunity to make such
investments.

The head of Ameria business advisory service Gagik Sahakian said that
their company in cooperation with Ijevan municipality developed the
technical and financial proposals of the indicated program and sent
them to the DFID. During the program’s implementation, various advisory
services were provided: the best international experience on garbage
disposal was examined, based on which a program was prepared, and its
investment component enabled to achieve some of the results envisaged
by the advisory services. A survey was condicted among Ijevan residents
in order to determine the local population’s approaches to the problem
of garbage disposal and the optimal version of garbage disposal
tariffs, so that the municipality will have enough funds for garbage
disposal at the expense of garbage payment collection. G. Sahakian said
that due to social conditions, Ijevan residents cannot pay the indicted
tariff that would allow to completely solve the problem. But the
difference between the tariff and the sum the population can afford to
pay was determined. According to Ameria’s representative, this
difference is now paid partly with state budgetary and grant resources.

Prior to implementation of the program on solid waste management
(garbage disposal) in Ijevan, 25-30% of 35-40 cubic meters of daily
street garbage was removed from the regional center of Tavush marz.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress