Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources reveals facts of destruction of natural resources of Azerbaijan’s occupied Shusha town

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources revealed the facts of destruction of the natural resources of the Azerbaijani town of Shusha, which was occupied by the Armenian armed forces 19 years ago.

Press service of the ministry said that the ministry’s operative center for investigation of destructive impact on environment and natural resources of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan learned the videotapes shot by various means in the territory of the region after the occupation and identified following facts of destruction of the natural resources by Armenians:

a) unique perennial trees of Karabakh forests were cut for firewood

b) reserve area at the highest point of Topkhana forest was turned into the large plain for construction work

c) 114-m limestone "Khan Cave" of Tithonian age at 1365-m attitude above sea in south of Shusha was destroyed

d) about 200 trees of different diameter have been cut in the upper part of the city, over the part called Four roads, on the left side of Lachin street, at H.Asgarov street, while the trees, once growing above and to the right of the road have been cut completely.

e) all trees including decorative and fruit trees near the rural school have been fully cut in Zarisli village.

19 years have passed since the occupation of Shusha by Armenian military forces. The city is 29,356 hectares and about 20% of the territory is forests. Mineral sources, medicinal herbs and flowers are widely spread in the forests and ravines adjacent to the city. The biggest mineral springs are Turshsu and Shirlan.

There are 1143 thousand cubic meters of lining stone resources, Kechaldag clay field with 397 thousand cubic meters of resources fit for tile and brick production, underground drinking-water wells with 50 thousand cubic meters p/d capacities, Shirlan and Turshsu sanative mineral water resources with 60 thousand cubic meter p/d and 24 thousand cubic meters p/d in Shusha.

In 1988, the State natural reserve Dashalti was set up in Shusha and Asgaran regions with an area of 450 hectares. Since 1992, the territory has been under occupation and the reserve was completely destroyed.


/APA/