Photos: The Dried Sarsang Reservoir

The Sarsang reservoir in Artsakh has taken on this appearance as the Azerbaijani side has not allowed Armenian specialists to repair the breakdown of the only high-voltage line entering Artsakh from Armenia through the Aghavno-Berzor section for three months, reports Civilnet.

The media publication states: “Artsakh has been left relying on its internal energy resources, particularly the hydroelectric station built on the Sarsang reservoir. During the winter phase, an unprecedented amount of water has been released from the reservoir to generate electricity. Azerbaijan has also created additional problems by periodically disrupting the gas pipeline that runs from Armenia to Artsakh. Artsakh has been without gas for nearly two months now.”

“There was hope that spring rains would somewhat raise the level of the reservoir, but April has been dry. To conserve energy, there have been rolling blackouts in Artsakh from January to the present. Artsakh is facing an energy crisis, among other crises. The situation created by Azerbaijan is also affecting Azerbaijani land users, as there is no water left to release from the reservoir for the irrigation season.”