A store owner in the second district of Davitashen once again attempted to cut down a tree at the corner of his store, as witnessed by the accompanying photo. As he was about to fell the tree, some concerned passersby luckily ointervened and told him to stop. The embarrassed store owner ceased his wanton destruction but it appears that the tree will not survive for long in this condition.

Mrs. Irina, a nearby resident, says this isn’t the first tree to fall victim to the store owner in question. "This store has for years been under expansion and all the trees that once stood here have been axed. This was the last survivor but it too was their target," she said. Local residents claim that the illegal felling of trees has increased of late in Davitashen and that no one is stopping the destruction. "Hetq" contacted Karen Papoyan, Assistant Director at the Environmental Inspectorate at the Ministry of Nature Protection, for some answers. Mr. Papoyan claimed that he wasn’t in town at the moment, but promised to look into the matter as soon as he returned.