Parukh Village's Electricity Cables Remain in Enemy Territory; The Village Has Power for Only a Few Hours

The village of Parukh in the Askeran region has lost its permanent electricity supply due to the war. The cables passing through the main road of the village, which has now fallen into Azerbaijani hands, result in the village having power for only a few hours a day.

In an interview with "Factinfo," the village mayor Vardan Mikayelyan stated that a large generator has been provided for the entire village, supplying temporary light: "We turn it on for 4-5 hours in the evening, just enough to have some light. There is no permanent electricity," he said, noting that new roads are currently being constructed through the forest, and he hopes that the electricity issue will be resolved soon.

"A new road is being built to replace the main road, under Azerbaijani control, which is currently 60% complete. They have already removed the old sections and widened the route, and if the weather conditions are favorable, the work will be completed in 10 days. Once the new road is ready, we will lay a new electricity line and have permanent light," he added.

Even before the war, Parukh had problems with water supply. While they currently have enough drinking water due to a small population of only 7-8 residents, the mayor explained that this would not suffice once all residents return: "Before the war, work had already begun to solve the water issue, but the war started, and everything was left unfinished," emphasized the mayor, assuring that he has raised this concern as well.

Out of the 82 inhabitants of Parukh, only 8 currently live there, while others visit occasionally. According to Vardan Mikayelyan, once the issues of electricity and road are fully resolved and the school reopens, people will begin to return to their homes: "The village residents are currently living in different places. Four families are in Armenia, they are resettlers from Armenia, while the others are in various villages and cities of Artsakh. The village school has 10 students, with three attending schools in different villages in Artsakh and the others in Armenia. People say that if there is electricity and the school starts operating, they will come back to the village for their children," he stated.

The mayor also noted that when residents return, they will continue to engage in livestock farming, as the grazing areas are located above the village and fortunately do not extend into enemy territory: "Approximately 150 hectares of arable land remain available to them. That land was just below the main road. Since the road is blocked, the lands are also remaining on their side," the mayor of Parukh stated.

No security issues have arisen during this time. There has been no attempt by Azerbaijanis to enter the village: "We have posts below the village, and our guys are stationed there; it is safe," Vardan Mikayelyan said, expressing hope that life in Parukh will continue.