Another round of tree-felling campaign in Yerevan

ArmInfo.Another round of tree-felling campaign is being prepared in Yerevan. This  time, the work is planned for Komitas Avenue, as announced by Mayor Tigran Avinyan  during a working meeting at  the mayor's office on February 23.

According to him, sidewalk repairs are underway along the entire  length of the aven ue, which includes moving utility lines  underground. Additionally, the Mayor stated that trees deemed to be  no longer viable will be replaced with new ones. While making this  announcement, he ironically addressed Armen Begoyan, director of the  Greening and Environmental Protection SNCO, noting that this is "his  favorite job." Kristina Vardanyan, a member of the Yerevan Council of  Elders and an associate professor in the Department of Hygiene and  Ecology at Yerevan State Medical University, called these actions  unacceptable from a public health perspective. Recalling her previous  statements and initiatives, she noted that the trees being planted in  the city do not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements for urban  greening.

Vardanyan emphasized that conclusions regarding the "non-viability"  of trees cannot be considered legitimate, as such decisions must be  made based on a professional examination and approved by the chief  dendrologist. However, according to her, no such position exists  within the City Hall's structure. On her Facebook page, the expert  also stated that thousands of trees in Yerevan are being declared  non-viable "by eye," without any instrumental examination-the  necessary equipment was only recently acquired. With over 20 years of  professional experience, Vardanyan called for a review of the mass  tree-felling methodology, which, in her view, lacks scientific,  expert, legal, or moral justification and directly harms public  health, worsening an already dire environmental situation.

"Our mayor's office is, in fact, unique in its determination to keep  causing an ecological disaster  at the expense of our children's  future and the preservation of biodiversity," the expert stated,  adding that it is precisely in this state-with a city rapidly losing  its green cover-Armenia is gearing up  to host COP17.