Iranian MPs accuse Armenia of polluting Araz River
By Rashid Shirinov
The Armenian government has been sharply criticized in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) of Iran, where MPs accused the country of contaminating the Araz River.
MP Shakhur Purhusain noted in his speech that Armenia pollutes the water and does nothing to protect the environment. This, in turn, is the reason for the growth of cancerous diseases among the population of Mugan district in Ardebil province, Purhusain said. The deputy stressed that by discharging radioactive waste into the river, Armenia causes great damage to Iran.
Other MPs of the Iranian Parliament reacted with displeasure to this fact and demanded from the Armenian government to stop polluting Araz.
This is not the first time when Iranian deputies discuss the poisoning of the river by Armenia. Last year, a group of MPs demanded to seriously warn Armenia in connection with the pollution of the river.
The territory of Iran along the Araz River is a fertile land, where agriculture is widely developed. Therefore, local farmers take irrigation water from the river. Unfortunately, pollution of the river with toxic substances by Armenia not only reduces the yield by several times, but simultaneously causes the growth of oncological diseases among the Iranian population.
Azerbaijan also suffers from such a detrimental behavior of Armenia regarding both Araz and Kura rivers as well as their tributaries.
This summer, Azerbaijan's National Monitoring Department on Environment conducted a monitoring in order to examine the pollution level in the rivers. The examination revealed that the amount of biogenic substances in Kura and its tributaries is several times above the norm. The reason for this is the discharge of untreated domestic wastes and sewage from industrial facilities into water facilities in the territory of Armenia.
Waste thrown into Araz River is also extremely harmful for Azerbaijan. Heavy metals and other hazardous, toxic, and radioactive wastes brought by the Okhchuchay River, which takes its beginning from the Armenian territory, pollute Araz. Following Araz’s flowing into the Kura River, these hazardous materials in turn pollute Kura, which is the main source of drinkable water for majority of Azerbaijani regions.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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