The border village of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur is on 700 m distance from the front line and has about 10 km of contact line with the neighboring country. It is considered one of the most attacked villages in the republic, in terms of being targeted by the adversary. This information is derived from the official data on communities in Tavush region.
Street lighting is one of the primary problems of the village. A year ago, they tried to solve this problem by local efforts. Due to the available financial means, the problem was partially solved, to the possible extent and with available means. The ingenuity was used to avoid the adversary’s unpredictable behavior. Lamps have been installed on the old wooden pillars used for different purposes. Plastic containers of drinks were used to protect the lamps from rain. The village administrative director Levon Arakelyan is convinced that if the problem of street lighting is solved, the adversary will not dare to perform hostile acts or attempt to realize reconnaissance activities.
The self-made street lighting will soon be replaced by a proper LED lighting system. In this regard, the partners working on the infrastructures development in the regions of Armenia expressed their readiness to support the young administrative director and the village. Nerkin Karmiraghbyur village is at the focus of VivaCell-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) attention. The support is important for a village that is still growing in population.
“When the plan is implemented and the village is lit until 3:00 AM, the adversary will not dare to undertake reconnaissance activities. We tried to solve the problem, but we did it to the best of our ability. Such support is very important to us. The villagers need peace, work and attention, so that they don’t feel neglected,” said the head of village administration Levon Arakelyan.
In the current year, the problem of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur’s street lighting will be solved. The village of 900 inhabitants has a promising demographic index. 76 pupils attend school and 42 kids attend the kindergarten.
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Eco villages network includes selected intentional or traditional communities throughout Armenia, that are consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes to regenerate their social, cultural, economic and natural environments. The core idea behind the whole concept of the ecovillages is integrating the four dimensions of sustainability – ecological, economic, cultural and social – through integral, participatory design. The project is a new format of the long-term cooperation between the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), VivaCell-MTS and the Global Ecovillages Network (GEN) in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources.
The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) was founded in Y2002. FPWC is a member organization of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since Y2012. FPWC’s mission is to publicize the unique natural heritage of Armenia and the importance of biodiversity conservation, environmental issues and the importance of preserving nature. We aim to reduce human and wildlife conflict and its consequences to reduce the risks of endangered species of flora and fauna. Biodiversity conservation, environmental education, community development and public awareness are the main directions of our activities.
VivaCell-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) is Armenia’s leading telecommunications operator, having the widest network reach and spreading a wide range of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the best of the Armenian people interest at heart since its launch on 1st July 2005 and in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. VivaCell-MTS drives innovation and aims at always being at the forefront of any development serving the Armenian mobile communications market. The company follows the guidance provided by ISO 26000 (International Standard of Social Responsibility) and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System). For more information, visit www.mts.am
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (“MTS”) is the leading telecommunications group in Russia and the CIS, offering mobile and fixed voice, broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one of the world’s fastest growing regions. Including its subsidiaries, the Group services over 100 million mobile subscribers in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Belarus. Since July 2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about the MTS Group can be found at www.mtsgsm.com