City Hall Installed Water Pipeline, Later Found No Water

The Renaissance Park in the 2nd block of the Nor Nork administrative district of Yerevan is gradually turning into a desert. When we say "park", we should first envision a green area, trees, and grassy spaces. But here, the picture is entirely different: there is almost no green space, and the trees are drying up.

While walking around the park, we noticed that new irrigation pipes had been installed, yet no water flowed from them; it seems they were set up merely for appearance's sake.

Why is the new system installed but not functioning, and is there even irrigation water available in this park? To get answers to these questions, we turned to the Yerevan City Hall. The mayor's spokesperson, Artyom Karapetyan, informed us that there is no irrigation water in Renaissance Park at this time, and it is not possible to pull it there. According to him, the company responsible for "Greening and Environmental Protection" is drilling a deep well in the area to find underground water. After that, according to the city hall, they will engage in planting and other works.

However, another question arises. If there is no irrigation water in the park, why have new trees been planted here? They could at least be watered with water brought in by tankers. There are quite a few small fir trees planted in various parts of the park, which have already dried up.

As we walk through the parks of Nor Nork, we encounter a different picture. In one park, efforts are being made to acquire water, while in the neighboring park, water flows indiscriminately.

In the nearby Tigran the Great Park, there is water available. However, there is no new irrigation system here. The water flows through old, irregular pipes, and there are no modern valves or control systems to stop the water flow. A piece of wood is simply inserted into the pipe, as we famously know, and that’s it—the water doesn’t flow.

At the end of Tigran the Great Park, it doesn't take long to figure out as you encounter a pile of trash blocking your way.

In the two neighboring parks of the same administrative district, there’s a different situation: Renaissance Park has a new irrigation system, but no water; meanwhile, Tigran the Great Park has water, but no new irrigation system. In 21st century Yerevan, one place attempts to source water while another indiscriminately lets it flow away.