Restoration of the Flooded Barricade on the Armenian Side of the Araks River

During its meeting today, September 7, the government has made a reassignment in the state budget and amendments to one of the previously adopted decisions. Restoration works will be carried out on the flooded barricade, which is approximately 130 meters long and 8 meters deep, located near the former bed of the Araks River on the Armenian side, near the communities of Araksavan and Burastan in the Ararat region.

According to the justification, the 8-meter-high earthen barrier has been flooded due to the exploitation of a sand pit, and in one area, the former course of the Araks River has changed, now flowing through the bed of the Hrazdan River. According to the re-demarcation of 1973, the state border between Armenia and Turkey passes along the former bed of the Araks River, which, as a result of the changes, is now deprived of water and has been covered with dense thickets and trees. A 'island' approximately 400 hectares in area has emerged between the former and current beds of the Araks River, which has become deserted and is not used for agricultural purposes.

Due to the Araks River now flowing through the Hrazdan River bed, the left bank of the Hrazdan River is at risk, as collapses occur during floods, which could lead to flooding of the riverside areas and border structures. As a result of the restoration works, it is planned to restore the former course of the Araks River over an area of approximately 6.5 kilometers in the section corresponding to the boundary markers and to prevent further collapses. The process of acquiring project-budget documents for the object began in 2022, according to which 378,251.2 thousand drams are required for construction work, 4,917.3 thousand drams for technical supervision services, and 1,513.0 thousand drams for authorial supervision services, totaling 384,681.5 thousand drams. It is planned to carry out 50 percent of the construction works during this year.