Tense Situation in Aragatsotn Region: Farmers Prepare for Radical Actions

For the third consecutive day, the villages of Arteni, Aragatsavan, Lusakunk, and Argin in the Aragatsotn region, along with several border check points with Turkey, have been without electricity. According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan, residents have gathered in the central street of Arteni to demand answers from the Armenian government and the Aragatsotn governor's office regarding the electricity supply issues, urging 'Electric Networks of Armenia' to resolve the problem swiftly.

In an interview with the photojournalist, the farmers expressed their frustrations: 'We have been without electricity for three days. People are running shops, and all perishable goods in the stores are no longer fit for consumption. Some shop owners have turned on generators, but they don't have enough power to keep food cold. We have been fighting for five years to ensure a contract-specified 220 volts of electricity is supplied, but instead, we are receiving only 80 volts. There are no proper utility poles in the village; the power lines hang precariously, and if someone passes under these rotten poles and one falls on them, we wouldn’t be surprised.'

The farmers also noted that due to the irresponsible actions of the electricity company, a population of 15,000 finds itself in the dire conditions reminiscent of the 1990s: 'If back then we at least had electricity for a few hours a day, now we have been in the dark for the third day, and it can be said we are hopelessly waiting. Due to the lack of electricity, we cannot even maintain sanitary conditions, as there needs to be electricity for water supply, and if there is no electricity, what water are we even talking about? If we block the roads in protest, you will say we have blocked them. But what else can we do? For the third day, we have not received clear answers from the electricity company; they don't react at all. It is interesting to see what these officials in the government would do if they were left without electricity for just one hour. They would call an emergency meeting and would be quick to chastise 'Electric Networks of Armenia.'