Lori Governor's Office Responds to Claims of Disaster Caused by Water Discharge from 'Zhora HPP'

The information circulating on social media and some news outlets stating that the discharge of water from the 'Zhora HPP' intake caused the disaster is false and does not reflect reality. This was announced by the Lori Governor's Office.

“We urge users and media spreading fake news to refrain from disseminating unfounded information and to avoid creating unnecessary panic in the current situation,” the statement read.

The chief engineer of 'Zoraget Hydro' LLC, Ara Hakobyan, provided clarification on the matter. He stated, “During the flood, the Zhora HPP was operational and continues to function normally today, even under maximum load. On May 26, as well as in the preceding days, the power system operated normally, and there were no recorded disruptions. In May, including May 26, the operation of the Zhora HPP was conducted without interruptions, which means there were no emergency water discharges.”

Hakobyan also noted that the daily capacity of the reservoir for regulating water at Zhora HPP during that period was around 20,000 cubic meters, which is inconsistent with the volume of water flowing through the river’s floodplain and could not have influenced a disaster of such scale.

Regarding the announcement posted on the Lori Governor's Facebook page on April 19, it was emphasized that similar warnings are issued annually by 'Zoraget Hydro' LLC, urging residents in close proximity to the river to remain alert during flood periods,” the message concluded.