BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 8. A regular meeting of the working group on Environmental Issues of the Interdepartmental Center under the Coordination Headquarters, created for the centralized solution of issues in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, was held, Trend reports.
The meeting was attended by employees of the relevant public institutions, represented in the working group, as well as the employees of the representative offices of the President of Azerbaijan in Karabakh and the East Zangezur Economic Regions.
The members of the working group were informed about the comprehensive monitoring carried out in the liberated areas to assess the environmental situation. During the meeting, the members of the working group were also informed on biomonitoring to determine evidence-based interventions to prevent transboundary pollution of the Okhchuchay River, restore ecosystems, improve water quality, and prepare appropriate proposals.
During last week's monitoring that was held to determine the level of water pollution in the Okhchuchay River, serious changes in the color of the water were observed, as well as a pungent smell.
Analysis of water samples taken near the border with Armenia showed that the concentration of iron, manganese, molybdenum, ammonium, and sulfates in the water increased even more. The data analysis transmitted from new automatic hydrological stations installed on transboundary rivers, including in the village of Shayifli in the Zangilan district, also confirmed an increased level of pollution.
Heavy metal pollution of the Okhchuchay River is observed all year. The reason for the change in the color and smell of the river water during the last monitoring was a significant increase in the amount of ammonium and sulfate ions. Thus, in Okhchuchay, the content of ammonium, widely used in the mining industry, was 4-5 times higher than normal, and the content of sulfate was also several times higher than normal.
Appeals were made to international organizations regarding the ongoing pollution of the Okhchuchay River. The appeals informed the organizations about the ecological crisis occurring in the region as well as the critical condition of the river and its ecosystem. Also, calls for the suppression of the ongoing pollution situation were made.
Despite the appeals and calls addressed to the German holding company "Cronimet", a shareholder of the Kajaran Copper and Molybdenum Combine in Armenia, which is one of the main sources of river pollution, no practical measures have been taken, hence the pollution of the river continues.
Considering the severity of the issue, the evidence collected on the basis of regularly conducted environmental monitoring was submitted to the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan for legal assessment and appropriate measures.
The working group carries out its activities through close contact and the exchange of information with other working groups of the Interdepartmental Center and special representatives of the president.