Demand punishing officials
Activists of the Trchkan Waterfall protection civil initiative and environmentalists today explained their victory.
Even though maintaining Trchkan Waterfall is not the only thing that environmentalists have achieved, they say it was different in that there were more youth participants.
"It is a wonderful example, and the motivation that the youth passed on to the society is very essential for nature protection in Armenia," "Let's Preserve Trchkan Waterfall" civil initiative activist Arman Vermishyan said during a press conference. According to him, Trchkan has become a unique brand "and it is necessary to think of selling that brand".
There will be no construction of a hydro-electric station near Trchkan, but environmentalists say it is too early to speak of the final victory since the main step still hasn't been taken. "Our experts will definitely participate in formulating the status of the waterfall and the process of preserving the area," initiative member, lawyer Mary Khachatryan said.
The initiative members will demand finding and punishing all officials that signed the document on permitting the construction of a hydro-electric station near the waterfall; otherwise, according to the lawyer, the example of Trchkan won't serve as a good precedent.
Environmentalist Karine Danielyan mentioned that they are not against the construction of a hydro-electric station and that they are only concerned about not harming the environment. For instance, in the case of Trchkan, it turned out that the territory was located in a landslide zone.
Head of the World Wilderness Foundation Armenia Office Karen Manvelyan said we shouldn't forget that Armenia is a seismic country and has many landslides.
After recording the victory, the people who saved Trchkan are already thinking of what other monument is at risk. Karine Danielyan sent a special message to government agencies with a warning that this is the start of a very serious ecological movement.
