Railway restoration requires much time - minister 

ArmInfo.A meeting of the RA government began on May 30 with an expression of condolences to all  the families of those killed in the severe flood that occurred on May 25- 26 in the Lori and Tavush regions of Armenia.

"On behalf of the government and myself personally, I express  condolences to all the families of the victims," RA Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.

In turn, the head of the operational headquarters to overcome the  consequences of the natural disaster, the Minister of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia Gnel  Sanosyan noted that these days the water flows in the Debet River  amounted to 650 cubic meters per second. For example, today this  figure is 102 cubic meters. A similar situation was also observed in  the rivers Agstev, Tashir and their tributaries. The flood led to  catastrophic consequences. 456 rescuers were involved in the rescue  work, through whose efforts 443 citizens were evacuated. Currently,  in the area of Sanahin station alone there are 141 people who find  themselves on the other side of the river, and who are provided with  everything they need. The flood killed 4 people.

Sanosyan noted that by the decision of the Prime Minister, the region  was recognized as a disaster zone.  The established operational  headquarters to eliminate the consequences of the disaster is  carrying out work to assess the extent of the damage caused and carry  out priority work. The region's infrastructure suffered enormous  damage. Along the railway line alone, in its various sections,  destruction was recorded along 2 kilometers, mainly from Ayrum  station to Sanahin station. In addition to the railway itself,  substations and power line supports were damaged. It will take a long  period of time to restore the railway.

As for roads, as Sanosyan noted, the main damage as a result of the  rampant disaster was caused to interstate roads M4 and M6. There are  10 damaged sections recorded on the M4 road, 5 of which are  significant, especially in the Dilijan-Ijevan direction. The M6 road  is damaged in 43 sections, in five of which there is no need to talk  about the road. However, one of these areas was restored; work on the  rest continues. In particular, the road from Noyemberyan to  Bagratashen turned out to be washed out, as a result of which the  checkpoint on the border with Georgia did not work for one day. After  the water level dropped, this road was cleared and traffic in the  direction of the checkpoint was restored. However, the road from  Vanadzor to Ayrum remains closed.

The minister also reported that there are about 20 damaged bridges,  the largest of which are the bridges in Sanahin, Akhtala, Ayrum,  Karpot and Ashtarak. The bridges in Akhtala and Karpot were  especially severely damaged, which cut off 7 settlements, including  Alaverdi, from communication with the outside world. Providing food  to local residents is carried out through the mountains.

There are also serious damages to the water management system. Many  water pipes and wastewater treatment systems are clogged with sand  and there is no real way to assess the damage caused. A number of  settlements were cut off from water supply systems. Water supply has  been partially restored in Dilijan.  Today, the main problem is the  provision of water to the Akhtala community, where water is delivered  through water tankers.

Sanosyan noted that there are also destructions of buildings and  structures, the largest of which were recorded in Sanahin, Alaverdi  and Karpot. In the latter case, all residents were evacuated;  yesterday 30 rescuers worked there; today this number will be  increased to 100. He also said that the needs of local residents are  being assessed on a daily basis, and work is underway to improve the  damaged infrastructure.

Sanosyan pointed out the need to develop programs for the restoration  of the disaster zone, in which it is important to provide tax  benefits for affected entrepreneurs, explore opportunities for  writing off loan obligations, and develop a procedure for  compensation for losses incurred.

In turn, Nikol Pashinyan pointed out the need to return to the idea  of applying uniform standards in the construction of roads and  bridges. It is equally important to pay more attention to the quality  of work.

Meanwhile, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan called for  clarification of the volume of assistance expected from foreign  partners so that the expected assistance would be targeted.