It has already been one year since the UN started implementing the “Mine Detection” program in Armenia. In the framework of this program they make evaluations of mined territories influence on the social and economical development of the surrounding areas. About 60 communities of Ararat, Tavoush, Vayots Dzor, Syunik, Gegharkunik regions still feel the results of mining. The communities of Tavoush and Syunik regions suffered the most. Approximately 70,000 people suffered from mining. We have 322 sq.m. of suspicious and unclean territory. “It is a big mark for a small country. Actually 1% of our country’s territory is dangerous”,-says the head of this program Armen Grigoryan. In Armenia 354 people suffered from mine explosions. Most of these incidents happened in the period of 1995-1998. In 2001 the RA government officially announced that it doesn’t clear mine territories. Although now the mined territories are mentioned on maps, however, there are accidents. In these last two years 14 people suffered from mine explosions and one person died. “These men who suffered appeared in the mine danger territories due to their work. Two of them were soldiers”,-said Mr.Grigoryan. By the decision of the Prime-Minister on October 13 a commission was founded and its main purpose was mine protection. There are people from different state government bodies in the commission. “We will try to work out a strategy for our activities on the basis of the prime-minister’s decision and our goals”,-says A.Grigoryan. The commission must also find financial sponsorship for this program. Next year this program will make technical analysis to find out the mine types, capacity and locations: “If in the result of our analysis we find out that there are mined territories which are not visited by people at least for five years (for instance, on the top of mountains), we will just consider these territories as dangerous and will put billboards in those territories, because mine detection is very expensive. Usually all the countries in the world do this”.
Mines in the territory of Armenia are produced in the Soviet Union. Mine detection projects are seasonal: they stop working in rainy weather. At the end of this week sappers will finish their job in the surrounding territories of Shurnoukh village of Syunik region. We hope that Arnold and his donkey (we wrote about them in our #39 publication) will not step on a mine till the end of this week.