EN
7 December 2009 - 14:09 AMT

Alvaro Antonyan: AMD 3 billion should be spent on Yerevan buildings reinforcement

Director of the Armenian National Survey for Seismic Protection Agency Alvaro Antonyan said AMD 3 billion should be spent on reinforcement of buildings in Yerevan.

“Most of the buildings were constructed when the seismic nom was fixed at 7 on the Richter scale. Now, the norm should measure 9. Reinforcement will cost twice as much as our national budget but it doesn’t mean that we can sit on our hands,” he told reporters on December 7.

“The new constructions in the center of Yerevan are steady enough but it’s not known how firmly they are fixed to the ground. In case of earthquake they can collapse blocking the way for ambulances or fire engines,” he said.

As to the safety of the Armenian nuclear power plant, Antonyan said the new and old power generating units of the Armenian NPP are absolutely secure.