Ministry disapproves SHP construction project
The Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia has disapproved the Stepanavan-1 project which envisages construction of a small hydroelectric plant on the Dzoraget River, Stepanavan Aarhus Center Coordinator Manya Melikjanian informed EcoLur NGO.
On 13 December, the people in Stepanavan discussed the construction project of a SHP with Norik Hayrapetyan, Leading Specialist of Head of Water Resources Management of Nature Protection Ministry. The SHP should have been constructed in the gorge of the Dzoraget River, which is a famous place for rest and tourism. "To our happiness, the representative of the Nature Protection Ministry has issued a negative opinion to the project, as this construction will destroy tourism and will lead to the destruction of Dzoraget river system," said Manya Meliqjanyan in her interview with EcoLur. She noted that on 6 December the people in Stepanavan addressed a letter to Nature Protection Minister Aram Harutyunyan with a request not to issue a positive opinion to "Stepanavan-1" SHP. The people have applied to Stepanavan Mayor Michael Karakeshishyan for him to officially approve the status of Dzoraget River gorge as a tourism zone, Ecolur reports.
