Azerbaijani Forces May Poison Irrigation Water: Villagers Face Serious Challenges

Four villages in the Gegharkunik region—Geghamabak, Jaghatsadzor, Aig, and Verin Shorzha—bring drinking water from other areas. Since May 2021, when Azerbaijani forces invaded Armenia's sovereign territory and positioned themselves near these Armenian villages, residents have been deprived of drinking water.

“The drinking water for 4-5 villages came from a reservoir located near Shorja, where the Azerbaijanis are now located. There is both a closed and an open reservoir at that location. The water from the closed reservoir used to flow into the open one, and from there it reached the villages through pipes. Now the closed reservoir is completely under their control, while the open one is in a neutral zone and has been consistently freezing this season. In the winter, we used to go and clean it to ensure sufficient water flow into the pipe so that all 4-5 villages could receive water. Now, who would go near the reservoir?” said Vardan Saghatelyan, the mayor of Geghamabak, in an interview with Factinfo.

According to him, the Azerbaijanis can do whatever they want with the water, including poisoning it. Since May 2021, when Azerbaijani forces invaded Armenia's sovereign territory and effectively took control over the reservoir that supplied drinking water to the mentioned villages in Gegharkunik, access to water was completely closed for a time. Saghatelyan mentions that he agreed with Hakob Avetyan, the mayor of Geghamasar, to temporarily close the water source due to the significant danger of poisoning by the Azerbaijanis. It was summer, and people could not survive without water. Ultimately, all residents' signatures and a commitment not to consume the water were collected, allowing the water to reach the village.

Currently, Geghamasar residents use this water for domestic purposes, while they bring drinking water from neighboring villages. Saghatelyan noted that health inspectors come once a month to check the water quality, but the fear always remains, as the Azerbaijanis can poison the water whenever they want. “For instance, I bring water from Vardenis, while some get it from the neighboring village of Shatjrek. Many carry it by hand, as it is about one kilometer away from our village. Those with vehicles bring it by car. They help each other transport the water,” Saghatelyan explained.

Before the Azerbaijani aggression in 2020, particularly before May 2021, every household in the village had drinking water. Saghatelyan said that back then, almost everyone had drinking water in their yards, but now there are only 2-3 places in the entire village, and even that is barely flowing. There is no alternative way to deliver drinking water to Geghamabak. Saghatelyan stated that there are no other sources of supply, so he has requested that at least the quality of artesian water be tested so that people can obtain drinking water from any well.