Garni residents again blocked Garni-Yerevan roadway (video)
Hundreds of residents of Garni village in Kotayk province have again blocked the main road to Yerevan protesting against a controversial construction project in Azat Gorge.
They demand that the heavy machinery be removed from the gorge. The construction equipment was brought to the gorge on May 16 for the construction of Kaghtsrashen gravity irrigation project.
By a government decision, an irrigation system is being constructed in the gorge that will take water from the Azat River and send it to Kaghtsrashen and Narek communities in Ararat province. They claim that the Garni gorge is jeopardized and say the water will be piped to irrigate the lands and fish farms belonging to the Prime Minister.
The villagers claim that over 200-300 hectares of land remained arid while the government wants to send the water to other communities.
A large number of police forces have arrived in the village. Representatives of the Marzpetaran (local Governor's Office) and World Bank are also in the village. The project is being implemented with financial support from the World Bank.
The villagers say they will not stop the protest unless their demands are fully met.
