Torrential rains of the last few days have caused the waters of the Debed River in northern Armenia to overflow its banks. As a result, the Armenian Copper Programme’s “Metalurg” athletic field in the town of Alaverdi has been flooded out and a bulwark protecting fields and gardens of local residents has also been washed away.

This scene is an annual occurrence at the start of spring. The Debed River, due to snow melt and spring rains, overflows its banks and floods area homes and fields.

For the second day in a row, residents of the southern Armenian town of Kapan have been forced to buy their drinking water in bottles. Water flowing from residential taps is dark brownish in color. This is a recurring problem with the advent of heavy spring rains and melting snow run-off that gets into the water supply.

This year, temperatures have warmed earlier than usual and the Gyard and Adjabadj springs, the major Kapan water sources, have been affected. Heavier than normal flows have disrupted normal operations at the local Geghva filtering station. »»»»»

Kapan’s outlying neighborhood of Barabatum has gone without its own garbage dump for many years. Residents throw their trash out wherever they please, usually in nearby ravines or roadside gullies.

One of these convenient dumps is situated near the municipal cemetery. To read more in Armenian and see some truly disturbing photos go to Banali.hetq.am

Flower vendors in Alaverdi about the slow trade today, despite it being International Women’s Day. Mrs. Neli, who sells her colourful flowers from a small store next to Sayat Nova Square told us that business had dropped from previous years.

Rasident Razmik Mouradyan said he still hadn’t bought a gift for his wife. “I’ve been running late, but I’ll pick up a few flowers for her on the way home.” »»»»»

MP Tigran Torosyan: “People must understand officials are not here to hand out favors”

Trying to reach the village of Vardenis, Aragatzotn Marz, especially during the winter, is an arduous and nearly impossible journey. Roads leading to the village, located just five kilometers from the town of Abaran, are covered with slick ice from the hardened snows. »»»»»

Building Hosts Village Weddings and Playground

Even in the dead of winter, pupils at the Vardenis village school in Aragatzotn have a place to play football.

The cold winds blowing through the broken windows of the gymnasium and the thick dust rising up from its crumbling floor doesn’t seem to bother the kids though. »»»»»

Taxi drivers in Shirak Marz will be organizing a public rally tomorrow in Gyumri to protest proposed regulations drafted by the government to regulate the industry.

The drivers will be voicing their concerns regarding proposals made by the head of the RoA Control Service subsequent to the taxi drivers’ petition to the government to review certain aspects of the proposed legislation. There are 824 private taxi drivers in Shirak. The rally will take place at noon tomorrow at the Mother Armenia complex in the regional capital.

Farmers can’t pay off loans when 3,500 tons of grapes remain in refrigerators

Everyone in the village of Verin Artashat, in Ararat Marz, is unhappy about their lot in life. Almost all have put their homes and land up as collateral for loans.

“There’s absolutely no one who cares about the villager. »»»»»

65 year-old Zhora Khachatryan receives a monthly pension of 23,000 AMD ($60). No one works in his family of five. Given the family’s strapped resources, Mr. Khachatryan hadn’t sat down in a barber’s chair for quite awhile.

That is until barber Tigran Hakhinyan brought his eight students to the soup kitchen in Alaverdi and gave free haircuts to those who had come for a hot meal. “It was more than a month ago that my hair was cut. But not by a regular barber. These young people have done a fine job. I’m very pleased,” Mr. Khachatryan said. »»»»»

At a meeting the other day in Gyumri, Minister for Urban Development Vardan Vardanyan said that none of the apartments constructed by the company “Glendale Hills” had yet been accepted by the government. The apartments are to be handed over families left homeless by the Spitak earthquake.

Minister Vardanyan said that seismic tests had been constructed on the buildings and that the results were satisfactory. He said that construction shortcomings would be fixed and that directives had been handed down so that such problems wouldn’t occur in the future. »»»»»

Within the framework of its ongoing Rural Development Program, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund recently began construction of a vitally needed community center in Aknaghbyur, a village in Armenia’s Tavush Region. The project is sponsored by the fund’s French affiliate, through the financial support of the France-based Tavitian family. »»»»»

There are 400 households in the village of Gosh in Armenia’s northeastern Tavush province; 1,200 residents in all. Housing appears to be a pressing problem facing the village, but the extent of the problem differs, according to whom you speak to.

There’s a neighborhood in the village that residents call “Verin Tagh”. It lies in a sinkhole zone. »»»»»

Residents Say Town Becoming a “Little Sicily”

Residents of the town of Martuni, in Gegharkunik Province, are fearful and angry. During the past month, crimes have followed one another like clockwork but none of the perpetrators have been caught. The situation has riled local inhabitants to the point where they are preparing to collect signatures and send the petition off to the president and chief justice, demanding that the lawbreakers be found and prosecuted. »»»»»

In an apparent surprise to many in attendance, Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan opened the next consecutive session of the Aragatzotn Regional Council. After rural community leaders presented a check list of the problems faced by area villagers, Mr. Gevorgyan responded, “Don’t make me cry.”

DPM Gevorgyan said that henceforth, local community leaders would be present during Regional Council sessions and that they would thus be given the opportunity to raise issues they face in their respective communities. This view was contrasted by the fact that none of the local leaders present at yesterday’s hearings rose to ask a question of Aragatzotn Regional Administrator Sargis Sahakyan. »»»»»

Deno Gold Mining and “Khustup T.V.”, based in Kapan, have recently signed a memorandum of cooperation according to which the local broadcaster will be airing programs regarding the mining company’s projects in the town.

Sasoun Manoukyan, Managing Director of “Khustup TV” said that the broadcaster hadn’t charged Deno Gold for such publicity. Rather, he said that the agreement would set the record straight regarding the mining company’s environmental record. “Some NGO’s have claimed that the company is damaging the local environment and this isn’t true,” Mr. Manoukyan said. »»»»»