Trenching at four locations in Arabkir
- Status: response received (19.06.2026).
In June 2026, we identified 4 cases of trenching in the Arabkir district that we believe are illegal according to the Council of Elders Decision 405-N.
On June 9, we sent investigation requests to both the Ecoinspection and the Yerevan Municipality.
Response from the Ecoinspection
On June 12 we received a response from the Ecoinspection № 01/30.1/2/4226-2026, signed by Artak Grigoryan:
In response to your application № 2044733, addressed to the Environmental and Mining Inspection Body (hereinafter: Inspection Body) via the unified platform for electronic inquiries on June 9, 2026, regarding gross violations of environmental norms by construction companies in Yerevan, I inform you that within the framework of the administrative proceedings initiated in the Yerevan regional department of the Inspection Body, in order to clarify the circumstances mentioned in the application, specialist G. Avanesyan, a dendrologist of the Arabkir subdivision of the "Greening and Environmental Protection" CNCO, was invited. Together with him, a visit was carried out in the territory of the Arabkir administrative district, specifically at the addresses: Azatutyan Avenue 1, Azatutyan Avenue 9, Azatutyan Avenue 13/2 and Gyulbenkyan Street 34. There, G. Avanesyan, after examining the trees in the mentioned areas, expressed a professional opinion that as a result of the trenching works, the trees were not damaged to the point of growth cessation.
At the same time, I inform you that according to Article 219¹ of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Armenia, the offenses provided for in Article 157 of the Code are examined by local self-government bodies.
Response from the Municipality
On June 19 we received a response from the Municipality № 19/81035-26, signed by the acting head of the Urban Development and Land Control Department Samvel Ghukasyan:
In response to your application addressed to the Yerevan Municipality on 10.06.2026, it is informed that in the area adjacent to Azatutyan and Babayan streets, irrigation system construction works are being carried out within the work program of the Yerevan Municipality, according to the construction (creation of engineering infrastructures) permit No. ՀՇԹ/3/3947-25.
Our conclusions
These responses highlight a critical gap in the environmental protection system. The Ecoinspection is not the appropriate body for cases where a tree is not killed immediately, as they lack the legal tools and mandate to address non-lethal damage.
The Municipality, in its response, refused to take any action, essentially validating the violations by citing a construction permit that clearly ignores ecological protection norms. This demonstrates a fundamental failure of the regulatory body to enforce its own standards, which constitutes a case of legal negligence.