BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.30
Trend:
The volume of heavy metals in the waters of the Azerbaijani Okhchuchay River exceeds the norm by dozens of times, Trend reports on Aug. 30.
This statement was made at the meeting of the working group on environmental issues of the Interdepartmental Center under the Coordination Headquarters, created for the centralized solution of issues in Azerbaijan’s territories [liberated from Armenian occupation in the Second Karabakh War in 2020].
The representatives of the president of Azerbaijan in Shusha and Aghdam, officials of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Emergency Situations, and other state agencies attended the meeting.
The group members were informed about the complex monitoring, conducted in the liberated territories for the assessment of the environmental situation following the ‘Action Plan for the solution of the military-political, socio-economic, humanitarian organizational and other urgent issues’ to control the contamination level of rivers running through the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and assess the radio-ecological situation.
The representatives of the relevant structures were informed about the implementation of the action plan.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources assessed in accordance with the legislation in connection with the damage caused to the environment and natural resources. The investigation materials on Zangilan, Gubadli, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Khojavend, Jabrayil, Tartar districts, and Shusha city were sent to the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office for the legal assessment.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources carries out the systematic work to take samples of bottom sediment and water from rivers flowing through the territories of the liberated districts. Samples are sent for analysis and the dynamics of pollution are created.
The volume of heavy metals, namely, copper, molybdenum, manganese, iron, zinc, chromium, exceeds the norm by tens of times in waters of the Okhchuchay River on the territory of Eastern Zangezur.
Currently, the bottom sediment samples taken from the Okhchuchay River are being assessed.
The topic of using alternative types of fuel instead of firewood was also discussed at the meeting. The production of coal briquettes from agricultural waste is being expanded in Azerbaijan. There will not be additional costs as a result of their use.
The group coordinates with other working groups of the Interdepartmental Center closely and in the format of information exchange.