Villagers block road leading to Teghut copper mine

Around 100 residents of Teghut village have gathered at a checkpoint to Teghout copper mine since 12.00 on Monday, presenting demands to the owners of the copper mine, Hetq.am reports. The residents are demanding to either offer job places for the locals or return the lands bough by the operating company.

According to the source, villagers are also demanding the owners to provide compensation to pensioners from nearby Teghut and Shnogh villages for the damage to the environment and health problems caused by mining. As an example they point to financial compensation offered to population living nearby Artsvanik tailing pond in Syunik province.

According to the report, the Head of Shnough community Davit Ghumashyan and the the Head of regional police have arrived at the scene to hold talks with protesters.

To note, mining activities at the Teghut deposit were halted in January 2018 due to problems reported at its waste disposal facility. The mine operator issued a statement declaring it will suspend all operations and lay off all workers except for few responsible for preservation of existing infrastructure.