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Some Yerevan residents are voicing concern over planned construction works around the capital's Aghi Lich (Salt Lake), which, according to city authority statements, are set to begin on September 22 as part of a "renovation" project. Regular visitors to the lake and residents of the surrounding community argue that the planned works could irreversibly damage the ecosystem of this small but locally beloved natural site.
What People Are Concerned About
According to the initiative's organizers, the planned works include removing the reed beds around the lake, paving the shores with concrete, and spreading specially imported white sand. Residents say these three elements in particular pose a real threat, even though the authorities present the project as a response to residents' own complaints. However, regular visitors to the lake say they are satisfied with its wild, unregulated state and have never asked for large-scale construction; their main, repeated request has been the installation of public restrooms and a reliable running water supply — not a radical transformation of the area.
Arguments
Concerned parties raise several specific environmental arguments:
- The role of the reed beds. The root system of the reeds surrounding the lake, they say, stabilizes the soil and slopes, preventing landslide phenomena. Removing the reeds could increase the risk of soil slippage, as well as deprive local fish species and insects of their natural habitat.
- The imported sand problem. The white sand planned for the project, they argue, could become a source of dust in windy weather, and over time, settling on the lake bed, could alter the water's natural composition and the ecosystem.
- Lack of permits. A question is raised as to whether the project was coordinated with environmental experts, and whether there is an official conclusion from the Ministry of Environment regarding the removal of the reed beds. Without the appropriate environmental impact assessment, any work, according to the initiators, would lack a legal basis.
Public Response
More than 220 citizens' signatures have already been collected in support of preserving Aghi Lich's natural state, and the signature drive, according to the organizers, is ongoing. The initiative group has stated its readiness to present this data to the relevant authorities as evidence of public sentiment.
Residents are calling for a halt to any work involving reed removal, shoreline concreting, and the import of foreign sand, proposing instead to limit the project to light, targeted improvements (public restrooms, running water), and are also proposing that public discussions be organized with the participation of experts and residents before any construction work begins.
The matter remains unresolved, as the official bodies have not yet published a detailed environmental justification or responded as to whether the project has undergone the necessary expert review stages.