Another Outrage: Noram's Gardens Have Been Put Up for Sale, Says Vahagn Varaghyan

The head of the Department of Student Affairs at Yerevan State University, Vahagn Varaghyan, wrote on his Facebook page: 'Another outrage. The gardens of Norak are for sale. Around the world, efforts to combat global warming are focused on increasing forested areas, while what are the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Mayor of Yerevan doing? In the capital, instead of expanding forested areas and green zones, healthy trees in Mashtots Park are cut down in broad daylight, leading to the destruction of not only green spaces but also entire generations of activists who have been fighting for years, some of whom now hold high state positions or are engaged in supporting efforts through Facebook statuses from the sidelines.'

'This year, more than one hectare of green space at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial has burned down because the city's clown of a mayor 'forgot' to water the grass and trees during the summer months. There is no outcry. This year, 11,575 hectares of Armenia's forests have been devastated by caterpillars due to the total inaction of the Ministry of Environment, and still, there is no outcry. And this is while the price of one cubic meter of wood for the average consumer has skyrocketed from 12,000 drams to 30,000 drams over the past two years. Thus, due to the government's negligence, the rural resident, who cannot afford heating with gas, is also struggling with heating issues using firewood.' But the issue of Norak's gardens is not that case. Believe me, if two hectares of Norak gardens are sold, residents of Yerevan will be forced to forget about breathing oxygen.'