Amid a shortage of water resources in Azerbaijan, Baku's aspirations for access to the Karvachar and Martakert springs have increased. Artsakh offers to negotiate especially on the joint use of the Sarsang reservoir, but the demand of the Azerbaijani side is one - to get everything. "Lurer" talked about the possible dangers, expected from Azerbaijan, with Davit Babayan, advisor to the Artsakh President, political scientist.
"When we talk about the water issue, we must understand that 90% of Azerbaijan's water resources come from other countries.
A considerable part of the flow of the Araks River is taken by Turkey, therefore less water reaches Azerbaijan. The Turks also have plans for the water resources of the Kura River, and especially the Kura resources will be so scarce that Tbilisi may also face problems", said Davit Babayan.
According to him, taking over the Sarsang reservoir in Artsakh is one of the most important military-political goals of Azerbaijan.
"They have ambitions not only for Sarsang, but for the whole Martakert. Since 1918, Azerbaijan has been striving to keep under its control the sources of Artsakh's water resources, Karvachar and Martakert. These meet 80% of Artsakh's water demand. The sources of Arpa and Vorortan rivers are also in Karvachar, reaching Sevan.
Can you imagine what would happen if they came under the control of the Azerbaijanis? They will poison Lake Sevan. At least in 1969-1989, Azerbaijan had been poisoning the drinking water of the Artsakh capital and a number of other settlements. That was the reason why the number of cancer patients in Artsakh was growing. Employees of all filter stations lived far from Artsakh until 1989, they did not use that water", Babayan said.
By Nairi Hokhikyan
