Pashinyan Proposes Compensation Plan for Citizens Affected by Flooding

During a government session, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan proposed a compensation plan for citizens affected by recent flooding, emphasizing that the focus should not be on the number of chairs or tables damaged in a home, but rather on the square meters of the property.

According to Pashinyan, the compensation would only apply to legally registered apartments that suffered damage from the floods. He stated, “We cannot go around asking how many chairs and tables were in the apartment, whether the television was a Panasonic or a Toshiba, or if it cost 3,000 drams or 3 million drams. That doesn’t concern us. We must adhere to a specific formula based on the square meters of the affected citizen’s apartment. For instance, we will provide compensation per square meter, which encompasses everything.”

He humorously noted a claim that 10 kg of gold had been washed away by the floods, saying, “Excuse me, even if that were true, we cannot assist with that issue, as the gold shouldn’t have been stored in the garage, and we must see if the acquisition and its tax trail are visible or not.”

Pashinyan also addressed the issue of damaged bridges, stating that temporary bridges need to be constructed, but long-term solutions should blend convenience with aesthetic value. “Bridges must be designed to be both structurally sound and visually appealing, so they can also serve as tourist attractions. I would like to remind you of the Sanahin Bridge, which has withstood numerous floods over the centuries yet has retained its aesthetic quality. We must pay great attention to aesthetics,” he remarked.

He considered it a significant achievement that new bridges built had not been damaged in the floods, but he acknowledged that the newer bridges often lack visual appeal.

It is important to note that on May 26, heavy rains led to the rivers Debed (in the Alaverdi and Akhtala regions and along the border with Georgia) and Aghstev (in the Ijevan region) overflowing their banks. The floods resulted in four fatalities, with several hundred people evacuated and significant destruction of roads and infrastructure.