Contractor Claims Faulty Rubber Fittings to Blame In March of this year, work began on tertiary irrigation canal rehabilitation project in several villages in the region of Armavir. The project has a price tag of 490 million AMD. Funding comes from Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia MCA-Armenia). Local communities kick-in 15% of the costs. The project had been scheduled for completion by the end of the year. It now appears that this deadline will never be met since all work has been indefinitely halted. Mayor Seryozha Arakelyan of Geghakert, one of the rural communities in the project, says that just two months ago officials assured him that 2.5 kilometers of canal would be rehabilitated by year’s end. The village mayor told Hetq that three weeks ago workers brought in a section of the pipe. They haven’t stepped foot back in Geghakert since. Geghakert has paid its share but received nothing in return “Not a stitch of work is being done in our village; nothing. At first they said that the flow of irrigation water was hampering them, even though there were parts of the village where this wasn’t the case. They could have worked there. I even suggested several alternatives so that work could progress; even changing the flow of the main stream. Initially, they agreed, but it looks like they’ve gone for good,” Mayor Arakelyan said. The mayor noted that even though he has handed over a portion of the 15% the community owes, as stipulated by the project agreement, he’s seen no practical results in return. Two years ago representatives from MCA-Armenia told the mayor that the community had to turn over 6.4 million AMD. Mayor Arakelyan did as he was instructed soon after. This year, he was shocked when they told him that he would have to pay an additional 10 million AMD. “I’ve already transferred 10 of the 16 million and can probably manage another 3-4 million. But I won’t do it if they don’t start working. It just doesn’t make sense,” added Mayor Arakelyan The village mayor isn’t optimistic that work will be completed by the promised deadline. “What else should I think? If they haven’t done anything so far to renovate 2.5 kilometers of canal, just how fast do you think they’ll work if they actually show up? I can’t get my head around their promises. I’ve seen how they supposedly work,” says Mayor Arakelyan with more than a hint of mockery. No work in Haytagh for past 2 months Partial work has also been done in the village of Haytagh. Five areas of the community are scheduled to have their irrigation canals rehabilitated. Work has been fully completed in two of the districts and 80% in a third. Work has yet to start in the remaining two, but officials has also promised Mayor Samvel Vardanyan that the job will be wrapped up by year’s end. Nothing has been done in Haytagh for the past two months. “They explain that there are problems with the rubber fittings used to join individual pieces of cement canal and that’s why work isn’t progressing according to schedule. They’ve promised to continue working in a few weeks,” Mayor Vardanyan said. Seyran Sargsyan is also more than a little displeased with the pace of work, or lack thereof, displayed by Millennium Challenge-Armenia. Mr. Sargsyan heads the “Khoy” Water Users Association. He says that while his organization has been able to supply the community with irrigation water, it’s been a difficult task and inconvenient conditions have been created for the villagers. In order for MCA-Armenia to carry out its project, “Khoy” was forced to close off roads through the pastures and fields, open new streams to supply residents with water. “It’s been like this since April. No work is being done in any of the communities. Now they say they have no rubber fittings, or some such thing, and they can’t work,” notes Mr. Sargsyan. Millennium Challenge CEO says “no” to Hetq interview Armavir Regional Governor Ashot Ghahramanyan is also concerned about the present state of the project. He’s been on the phone to Ara Hovsepyan, CEO of MCA-Armenia, to express those concerns. “I have spoken to Ara Hovsepyan personally. It appears that a quality issue has cropped up with the rubber fittings used to join the cement canals. The project procurer, the Americans, have told the contractors to exchange the defective fittings. The contractors have promised to do so and to continue working. I also relayed the problems faced by the water associations to Mr. Hovsepyan.” We’ve been trying to arrange an interview with Ara Hovsepyan on these very matters for the past few months. During initial negotiations, Mr. Hovsepyan did his best to lay down some personal ground rules and issues he just wouldn’t talk about. One of issues definitely “off-limits” was the severe dressing-down he received at the hands of the Prime Minister. We again tried to get some clarification from Mr. Hovsepyan regarding the concerns raised by the local mayors. Our efforts were in vain. “Hey, didn’t I tell you? No interviews,” he answered. As to when the new rubber fittings will make it to Armenia so that work can begin is anybody’s guess.