The irrigation water coming from the Vardenis and Verin Shorzha mountain range has been cloudy and discolored for several days now. Representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been stationed in that area since May 12. The Azerbaijanis have been carrying out engineering work for several days now.
The head of the Verin Shorzha community, Artyom Yeranosyan, warns about this. In a conversation with Aravot Daily, Mr. Yeranosyan said that the people of Vardenis and other villages have cattle pastures in the mountainous area, and this is where the villagers have been grazing their cattle for decades. But for several weeks now, even on the slope of that mountain, they have not been able to feed the animals. According to Yeranosyan, “No one could have imagined that the enemy would climb and descend from such a high mountain, so close to our settlements. Now, they have been bringing the equipment and working for 3-4 days. Before that, there was no such movement. The Turks were only sitting.”
Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan had expressed concern that the water resources of the Gegharkunik province were also under the control of the enemy. In this regard, Artyom Yeranosyan told us that it is a reservoir where an irrigation water line and drinking water flow from. According to him, Jaghatsadzor and several other villages in Verin Shorzha use the water.
The head of the community said that they also have a separate water line for Verin Shorzha. According to Artyom Yeranosyan, the area where the Azeris were stationed is another hill near the Vardenis plateau, which belongs to the village of Sari Aghud. But according to the head of the community, people did not use that mountain in recent years. “Now the Turks are sitting in that area. It is in that area that the equipment is being laid.”
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Artyom Yeranosyan said that the peace of the people of Verin Shorzha and nearby settlements has been disturbed since May 12. In response to our question about whether there was any reaction from the Armenian Armed Forces and if the authorities responded to the use of equipment, Artyom Yeranosyan said that he did not know whether the armed forces had responded or not. “The power structure is sitting on our border. We do not know whether they negotiated or talked.”
He said that the community leaders did not take any steps or talk to the Azerbaijani side about those issues. According to him, the Azerbaijanis are so close to the mountain that people can no longer climb during the season.
Lusine Budaghyan
