Yerevan mayor announces bill to effectively combat illegal  construction

ArmInfo. Yerevan is preparing a bill to effectively combat illegal construction and seizure of land, Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan stated at a working meeting of the Council of Elders on January 8.

He noted that the era of illegal possession of territories is over.  "We no longer accept illegal construction, huts, etc. And today we  are preparing legislative changes that will further complicate such  land seizures.  For me, it doesn't make much difference whether they  steal community money or land. In any case, this is theft," said the  mayor. He noted that in such cases the mayor's office does not have a  wide field for discussion, but there is a wide field for action.  Avinyan said that to solve this problem, discussions will be held  with representatives of the relevant inspection departments and heads  of administrative districts of the capital.

The mayor emphasized that Yerevan's green fund has been declining for  decades, including due to such illegal actions. He noted that now is  the era of restoration of green areas and called for active action.

The head of the SNCO "Greening and Environmental Protection" Armen  Begoyan said that the program to cut down trees in the capital was  due to the fact that 40-50% of Yerevan's green fund has lost its  viability or is on the verge of being lost. In total, about 1  thousand trees were replaced in 2023, which were brought mainly from  Italy and the Netherlands. At the same time, over 25 thousand bush  seedlings and half a million flowers were planted in Yerevan. In  total, at the end of the year, the green areas of Yerevan increased  by 20 hectares, of which 15 hectares accounted for the Yerablur  military pantheon alone.  As previously stated, in the next 7-8 years  the mayor's office plans to plant about 200 thousand trees.