Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan has instructed municipal departments to complete a two-stage tender for the construction of a waste recycling plant and announce the winning company by the end of the year.
He warned that failure to implement the directive could lead to new staffing decisions.
“This is one of the most important and difficult issues for Yerevan, and we cannot afford further delays,” Avinyan said during a working meeting after hearing a report on the latest fire at the Nubarashen landfill and efforts to extinguish it.
Mayoral advisor Kamo Areyan reported that after nine days of intensive efforts, the fire hazard at the Nubarashen landfill was fully eliminated by August 17, Sputnik Armenia reported.
According to him, the fire alarm was received at midnight on August 8, and by the morning of August 9 the flames had been extinguished, although the landfill continued to emit heavy smoke. Preventive measures against re-ignition and spread were carried out for nine more days, involving not only all municipal resources but also 12 administrative districts and private companies. The work included covering the landfill with soil.
“Every day, 20–22 units of equipment transported soil. In total, 2,450 truckloads of soil were delivered during the nine days,” Areyan noted.
Zaven Melkonyan, acting head of Yerevan’s Rescue Service Department, said that 22,035 tons of water were used for firefighting, with 430 rescuers involved in the effort.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Rescue Service has maintained 24-hour monitoring at the site.
