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Artsakh Village Gets Safe, Clean Drinking Water, PRESS RELEASE Washington, DC - The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the United States announced this week the completion of the Drinking Water Project in Artsakh's Mehmana village. The project, made possible by the Yeghiayan family of New Hampshire, benefits some 50 people. Unique in its simplicity, reliability and efficiency, the system is gravity-fed and consists of a potable water tank, underground piping and valves to control the flow of water to houses, livestock and garden areas. Easy maintenance and low cost of the project - only $5,000 - are among its benefits.
"We thank the Yeghiayan family for their initiative, patriotic commitment and generous financial support of this project. Now the villagers of Mehmana can count on a reliable source of pure and safe water for all their needs," said NKR Representative Vardan Barseghian.
A trained engineer, Arra Yeghiayan designed the project
after visiting the village in 2000. "When I visited Mehmana, I
was touched by the kindness and hospitality of the people who live in
this remote and beautiful place," Yeghiayan said. "Their water
system was simply an open trench that carried water from an uphill spring
to a hollowed-out log in the village center. Algae grew in the log,
and from it the women carried water in buckets to their homes. In the
winter, they had to break the ice from the surface. I thought it a basic
necessity to have clean water available to each home year-round, and
resolved to do something about it." "The NKR Office's help was critical. They provided background information and helped bring the project to its successful completion," said Arra. The NKR Government assisted in adapting the original project to Mehmana's particular conditions, conducted sanitation tests at the three original springs and found an experienced local team to implement the project. "Originally I was planning to ship the material from the States. But we soon realized that we could purchase everything we needed for the project locally. And this way we also helped the local economy," said Arra. The Yeghiayan family chose to finance the project in five phases, providing funds for the next stage as each one was successfully completed. The village community took active part in the implementation of the project, providing volunteer assistance with warehouse storage, transport, and digging pipe trenches. Regular e-mail and photos provided updates on the project's pace and progress.
"We feel better knowing that with our support the people of Mehmana now have clean drinking water in their homes," the Yeghiayan family said. Last week, the mayor of Mehmana Misha Atabekian wrote to the Yeghiayan family, expressing "infinite thanks from [himself] and the residents of the community for the extremely grand and kind humane benevolence, unforgettable by the residents of [the Mehmana] community." Mehmana is home to a small Greek-Armenian community in Nagorno Karabakh that settled in the area about 200 years ago to mine for copper, lead and gold in the picturesque mountains that surround the village. Some villagers still speak a dialect of Greek mixed with Armenian words. The mines were depleted in the 1950s and the villagers turned to agricultural activity. During the war the village remained under Azerbaijani occupation for almost a year and was severely damaged as a result of fierce fighting.
"The new water system will bring new life to this community of hard working people, providing enough drinking water for every house and irrigation water for gardens. We encourage our compatriots in the United States to contact our office and adopt similar small-scale but highly efficient projects that help improve everyday life for the people of Artsakh," said NKR Representative Vardan Barseghian. The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the
United States is based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government,
academia and the public representing the official policies and interests
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
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