The alarming colour of the Okhchuchay: Armenia again at the centre of an environmental scandal

After heavy rains in Armenia, unusual orange streams of water flowed through the streets of Gafan (Kapan in Armenian — ed.). The footage quickly spread on social media and caused serious concern among both local residents and environmentalists. According to preliminary assessments, the phenomenon may be linked to the activities of the mining industry in Armenia’s Syunik region and, in particular, to problems at facilities servicing copper ore deposits.

The situation has once again exposed the problem of pollution of transboundary water resources, an issue Azerbaijan has been raising for several years. The Okhchuchay River (Voghji in Armenian — ed.), which originates in Armenia, has repeatedly been the subject of environmental disputes due to recorded contamination with heavy metals and mining waste. Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned that the lack of effective oversight of mining enterprises in Armenia’s border areas poses a threat not only to the ecosystem of the Okhchuchay, but also to the basins of the Araz and Kura rivers and, ultimately, to the Caspian Sea.

In a comment to Minval Politika, Sabit Bagirov, chairman of the NGO Sustainable Development and Inclusivity, said that the appearance of orange streams most likely points to serious environmental violations at one of the region’s largest mining enterprises.

“The sudden orange colouring of rainwater flows most likely indicates that environmental standards are not being observed at the Kajaran copper mine. The orange rainwater streams probably flowed not only through the streets of Gafan, but also across the surrounding areas, before draining into the Okhchuchay River,” the expert noted.

He recalled that this waterway then passes through Azerbaijan’s Zangilan district, flows into the Araz, then into the Kura and ultimately reaches the Caspian Sea, significantly expanding the potential scale of the pollution’s impact.

Bagirov explained that the characteristic orange colour of the water is caused by chemical processes occurring in copper ore mining areas: “When pyrite, which is present in copper deposit zones, comes into contact with water and oxygen, it oxidises, forming sulphuric acid and ferric iron ions, which precipitate as an orange sediment of iron hydroxide. Along with iron, copper, zinc, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other toxic elements from mine waters may also enter the water.”

The expert drew attention to the fact that similar cases of pollution of the Okhchuchay have been recorded before. Pollution of this river, and subsequently of the Araz and Kura basins, has occurred in the past as well, indicating the systemic nature of the problem.

Speaking about the possible consequences, Bagirov said that heavy metals pose a serious threat both to the environment and to human health.

“At the very least, wildlife in a river contaminated with heavy metals dies. The risks of diseases among the population increase,” he said.

The expert recalled that the Kajaran deposit is operated by the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine, one of Armenia’s strategic enterprises, which produces around 85% of the country’s entire mining output.

According to Bagirov, one of the likely causes of the incident may be problems with the infrastructure used for storing and transporting production waste.

“The tailings dump where the combine’s waste is accumulated may be in poor condition, and mudflows could have affected this facility. Problems with above-ground or underground pipelines, through which the combine’s waste is transported to a tailings dump located more than thirty kilometres from the enterprise, cannot be ruled out either,” he noted.

According to the expert, an investigation is currently under way into the causes of the orange streams, but urgent measures to monitor water quality are already needed.

“I believe it is urgently necessary to check the water quality in the Okhchuchay River, which flows into Azerbaijan’s Zangilan district from Armenia. Perhaps the relevant measures are already being carried out. In any case, what happened looks extremely alarming,” Bagirov stressed.

Commenting on whether the incident can be considered yet another confirmation of environmental problems linked to the activities of mining enterprises in the Syunik region, the expert answered in the affirmative. In his view, both state bodies and civil society organisations should step up monitoring of rivers that originate in Armenia and then flow through Azerbaijan.

Bagirov believes special attention should be paid to the long-term consequences of possible pollutants entering the region’s river system.

“These include the risks of fish dying out in these rivers and the risks of various diseases emerging among the population, including cancer. There are also risks of contamination of vegetation and agricultural products grown in the areas through which these rivers flow. Moreover, such diseases and consequences do not appear immediately, but creep up unnoticed over many days and months,” Bagirov concluded.

Alla Zeydulllayeva

Minval Politika