Border Village of Chartar Loses 75% of Pastures and Orchards, Says Mayor

The village of Chartar in the Martuni region of Artsakh has suffered significant losses since the 2020 war, with a portion of the village, Nerkhin Chartar, now under enemy control. As a result of Azerbaijani aggression, approximately 75% of the cultivated land and pastures belonging to the village have fallen out of Armenian control.

According to Vladik Hovhannisyan, the mayor of Chartar, these lands were the primary source of income for the residents: “We primarily grew wheat. On average, we harvested 20-25 tons of wheat per hectare. Our community cultivated about 4000 hectares of wheat.”

The vineyards of Chartar residents have also been left in the part of the community now occupied by Azerbaijan. The mayor states that there are no alternative sources of livelihood, forcing residents to cultivate their household plots, which do not compare in fertility to the lost agricultural lands.

Chartar residents have no choice; if they do not cultivate the less fertile parcels they have, they will have nothing to eat during the winter. The issue of irrigation water, according to the mayor, will be resolved by the construction of a new pipeline. “The artesian wells are right along the border, but in our direction. After the war ended, there were days without water. The Azerbaijanis cut off the flow, making it impossible to operate the pumps,” says Hovhannisyan.

He claims the new pipeline will ensure regular water supply even during the summer months. The old, frequently damaged pipeline has caused numerous problems in a community with around 3,800 residents as temperatures begin to rise.