On August 14, the 12-year-old Mariam Dolukhanian stood by the spring of Azokh village of Hadrut Region for 3 hours. This day differed with nothing from other days spent in Azokh. Mariam lives in Stepanakert and has come to her grandparents. “There were days when I waited much longer. When older people come to the spring, they are not able to stand long under the hot sun, and I am compelled to concede the turn. There were cases when the older women fainted. Sometimes I carry water for the neighbours, too, they are old and lonely people. Usually I come to the spring almost ten times a day.”

Waiting 3-4 hours in a water-queue in Azokh is a usual thing. The turn never comes to an end. To be more exact, it lasts round the clock. Some villagers are on duty all the night long in order not to break the turn, otherwise they will lose water.

Angela Ohandjanjan comes to the spring at 6 o'clock every morning to take water for her family. And she comes here as many times a day as she is able to. “One day I'll faint and fell down with these buckets in my hands.”

18-year-old Meline Balasanian goes to the spring three times a day on a donkey and takes home 80 liters water. Having a donkey in Azokh means to be provided with water. From this viewpoint, Gyulvard Dallakian is not a lucky one. She is 43 and as far as she remembers she is always in this queue. “In our village, when the girl-child begins to move, she takes a bucket into her hand. This is our cross and we must bear it.”

In summer, the water entering Azokh decreases in 80%. Those who have a car, a horse or a donkey can fetch water from other villages, but there are not many of them. The others are compelled to buy the water for 1000 drams a ton and it will suffice the family with four members for two days only.

The water in the village is rather not bad in winter, however, the villagers are not too much inspired with it. “In winter the roads freeze. There were many cases when people fell down on their way to the spring and broke hands or legs. The water problem is not solved in the summer and nor in the winter,” complains the school teacher of History Samvel Ohanian.

Because of lacking water people of Azokh practically aren't engaged in agriculture. The villagers are given lands located 5-6 km far from the village and many of them are not able to pass this distance to cultivate their lands.

Samvel Ohanian thinks that the village can prosper if the peasants get loans from the government. “They demand a pledge against the loan. We have nothing but our half-ruined houses, which the banks do not accept as a pledge. Formerly our village was engaged in viticulture which was a quite profitable business. Today we grow only grain and almost have no profit.”

There are many problems in Azokh, but the drinking water is a priority. In Samvel Ohanian's opinion, it would be better to receive water by a gravity flow because it will cost cheaper than the pumped one. As a teacher, he is equally concerned about the school building and the roads of the village. In winter the roads freeze and the children often miss the lessons. “We are not able to solve these problems with our forces and the village administration isn't either.”

The Head of Village puts forward the same problems and says nothing depends on him. Gevorg Gevorgian is the Head of Azokh Administration already two years, however, he was at a loss to recollect any essential changes taken place in the village during that period. “What essential changes can be if we have no financial resources? One of the essential changes can be the water problem which costs 500 thousand dollars. With that money we can provide with water three villages of Hadrut Region – Taghlar, Drakhtik, and Azokh. These villages are included in one general program, however I can't tell when it will be realized.”

Translated by Armine Ghazaryan, Karine Miletbashyan