BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 6
By Chingiz Safarli - Trend:
The Armenians carried out ecological terror not only in relation to transboundary rivers, but also polluted Azerbaijan's internal rivers for about 30 years of occupation, Director of the Center for Hydrometeorological Research of the National Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Rafig Verdiyev told Trend.
According to Verdiyev, monitoring is regularly carried out in order to control the quality of surface waters in the country.
"Samples taken from rivers are analyzed in laboratories. Currently, there are no significant changes in our rivers compared to previous years. The situation varies by season. For example, if in summer, due to lack of water, the impact of waste discharged into the river is large, during periods of high water these effects decrease," Verdiyev said.
The director of the Center also spoke about the restoration of the monitoring system in the territories liberated from occupation, stressing that the situation on transboundary rivers is constantly being checked.
"Our rivers, which flow through the territory of Armenia, are most susceptible to pollution. The concentration of toxic waste in these rivers is higher. We also have become acquainted with the data of Armenian sources. Various reports emphasize that rivers are so susceptible to pollution by waste from factories in Armenian territory that they are already unsuitable for irrigation. This is an extremely difficult case.
The high concentration of toxic elements in water poses a serious danger to human health. Azerbaijan is taking measures to prevent these actions by Armenia. This issue is included in international reports and covered in various projects related to water. Currently, certain international organizations are implementing projects to improve water quality in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Armenia is also required to ensure water quality. I believe that these projects can somehow affect the existing problem," Verdiyev said.
He added that the quality of water in the rivers flowing through the industrial and mining regions of Armenia is very low.
“During the monitoring, we see that the level of pollution of local rivers in the liberated territories is higher than the norm. This, of course, is associated with the inefficient use of natural resources for many years and the dumping of harmful substances and waste into rivers. I believe that over time we will be able to achieve the return of the rivers to the state that was before the occupation and to ensure their compliance with the necessary standards," Verdiyev added.
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