Farmers Block Road over Irrigation Water Issue, Escort Officials to Land Plots: Protest Ends

The protest by farmers who blockaded the Armavir-Yerevan highway over irrigation water issues has concluded today. They escorted employees of the Water Users' Association to their plots to showcase the existing situation on-site.

Aram Sargsyan, the executive director of the Ejmiatsin Water Users' Association, stated during a conversation with the farmers that this situation arose due to an accident and that work would be completed by the evening, ensuring irrigation water would be available in the morning.

“I acknowledge that this is a force majeure situation. According to your signed contract, how many days and hours are you obligated to inform the water user that, dear resident, we ask you not to carry out such actions because a force majeure situation has occurred?” one of the farmers questioned Sargsyan.

He responded that a force majeure situation is one where it isn't clear when a resolution will be reached, thus including it in the contract wouldn't be practical.

“Regarding notifying, I reiterate that some of the gathered people were at the Water Users' Association yesterday; I informed them that water would be available by tomorrow evening. The water has been cut off since the first day,” Sargsyan stated.

A resident of the Ak'nalich village mentioned the amount of water needed to cultivate 1 hectare of tomatoes, to which Sargsyan indignantly responded that they are growing tomatoes on land that exceeds normative requirements. While tomatoes in other communities are irrigated 15 times, they are required to water 45 times but are only paying for 15.

“Is the state body to blame for your land being above normative? You're using too much water,” he told the farmer.