The expert hearings on building of the third tailing dump of the Tukhmanuk deposit located in Aragatsotn region were held today. As press-service of Armenia's Nature Protection Ministry reported, according to the results of the hearings Minister Aram Harutyunyan charged to submit in a written form all the suggestions and viewpoints in a week, and the relevant conclusion will be made.
It is already for several months as a decision of "Mega Gold" company to build the tailing dump causes displeasure of ecologists. Ecologist Knarik Hovanesyan told Arminfo correspondent that the deposit is very much close to Melik village. Moreover, the noxious waters from both tailing dumps flow to Getik river, which is the only source of irrigation for the village residents. As a result, after such irrigation fruit trees are damaged and the potato harvest reduced much.
The danger is that Getik river runs to the Khalavard basin and then to Aparan basin. Both basins are used for irrigation. This means that hundreds hectares of fertile lands may be damaged.
For her part, the head of the "Union of green activists of Armenia", Hakop Sanasaryan, added that development of the deposit is dangerous not only for Melik village but for the whole Ararat valley, as the tailing dumps contain heavy metals which interfere agriculture products through the irrigation water. This is dangerous for people, as it may become a reason of various illnesses and also weakens the immune system.
To recall, on 25 January 2013 the public ecological alliance and "Union of green activists of Armenia" sent a letter to the head of the Global Gold Mining, Van Krikoryan, with a demand to suspend the activity of the GGM in Armenia till compensation of the economic damage which development of Tukhmanuk deposit caused.
Director of the Armenian branch of GGM, Ashot Pogosyan, told ArmInfo correspondent earlier that all the accusations are groundless, as permanent ecological monitoring of independent experts are held at the territory of Tukhmanuk deposit and near it.