MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION COMMITS $8.08 MILLION TO REHABILITATION OF ARARAT VALLEY DRAINAGE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2010 19:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On March 12, 2010 the Millennium Challenge Account –
Armenia (MCA-Armenia) signed a contract on rehabilitation of Ararat
valley drainage system. The contract was awarded to the consortium of
SADE (France), Blesk (Russia) and Artezia (Armenia) as a subcontractor,
with the total price of USD 8.08 million. The contract is in addition
to the first package of works (USD 7 million) aimed at rehabilitation
of the Ararat Valley drainage system, awarded in 2009 to the Armenian
company "Sahakyanshin".

The rehabilitation of the drainage system will reduce ground water
levels in 35 beneficiary communities of Ararat and Armavir marzes,
improving social conditions in communities and promoting development
of agriculture. Works include cleaning and deepening of collector,
secondary and tertiary drains, improvement of drainage system by
constructing 3 big culverts and numerous small structures, removal
of blockages in the drains and provision of substitute measures to
provide irrigation water, rehabilitation of a number of artesian wells,
limited amount of work on sub-surface drainage within 3 sub-regions
– south-eastern, central and northwestern parts of Ararat Valley,
while maintaining an optimally balanced ecosystem in the wetlands.

Ararat Valley is the biggest agricultural zone in Armenia and provides
around 30 per cent of the agricultural GDP of the country. Over the
last decades water-logging and mineralization decreased agricultural
productivity levels. The rehabilitation will help to increase crop
productivity in the drainage area, better regulate groundwater levels
and reduce water-logging within settlements.

MCC’s total investment into the agricultural and water sector in
Armenia, through the MCA-Armenia program, will amount to about USD180
million by September 2011.

Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia is a atate non-commercial
organization established by the government of Armenia.

-NKh-

Millennium Challenge Corporation commits $ 8.08 million to
rehabilitation of Ararat valley drainage system.