It is important to remember that we should not abandon the village, considering the years of work we have put into it. The human eye, once filled with tears, can still hold hope for the doubling of the bread. Mrs. Taguhi Andreyasian, a resident of Karakopyan, understands the importance of connecting the village to the community. She tells NEWS.am that while it may be possible to rebuild houses within a year, the gardens will take much longer. Many families relied on the income from these gardens to sustain themselves.

Mrs. Andreyasian shares her own experience, “Our dwelling was flooded, and the garden was completely destroyed. While it may be feasible to rebuild the house, the garden poses a greater challenge. As of now, it is uncertain, but we have no plans to leave the village. Several families have already rented houses in Chochkan, but their future remains uncertain,” she says. She continues to discuss the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Karakopyan.

The AIIB employees are currently working on the foundations of the houses, which will ultimately connect Karakopyan to the main village, eliminating the need for the villagers to walk long distances to reach Akhtala.

Mrs. Andreyasian mentions that there are still issues with electricity and water supply. These problems cannot be resolved until the village is cleared of mud. However, the local municipality is providing daily water supplies, which helps the villagers in their cleanup efforts. Food scarcity is not a concern in Karakopyan either. “We have assessed the damages to the houses and the severity. The water supply has also been affected, causing problems for our livestock. We have pigs, chickens, and cows in the village,” says the resident of Karakopyan.

Let us not forget the events of May 26, when the Debed River overflowed in the Lori and Tavush regions. This resulted in flooded roads, bridges, houses, and cars. People were affected, and roads were blocked. The overflow caused the M-6 interstate road to be closed in both directions. Furthermore, a 530 mm pipe of the “Alaverdi-Arjish-Novemberian” water canal was destroyed, leading to water supply disruptions in 16 communities. However, repairs have been made, and the water supply has been restored. Tragically, four casualties have been reported due to the flood.

According to the RA Ministry of Transport, Communication, and Information Technologies, the Vahagni-Vanadzor-Alaverdi-Bagratashen motorway is currently closed. Drivers are being redirected to the M-3 Mgarar-Vanadzor-Tashir-RA state border road or the M-1 Yerevan-Gyumri-RA state border motorway.

Truck drivers are also unable to use the M-4 Dilijan-Ijevan-RA state border motorway at this time.