NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA

The President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan hosted and bestowed the highest state awards to the several scientists and responsible persons in the field of construction for their valuable contribution to the modernization of the water systems of the Republic of Artsakh, the assessment of their technical condition, the efficient use of water resources, particularly developing and implementing the project of the permanent reliable water supply system of Stepanakert.

Besides the state officials, the Head of the Chair of Hydraulics of the Armenian National University of Architecture and Construction, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Albert Margaryan, and Professor of the Chair of Hydraulics, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Arestak Sarukhanyan attended the meeting as well.

According to the decree of the President of the Republic of Artsakh, for proposing effective and reliable solutions for the reconstruction of water supply systems of Stepanakert and Martuni as well as for the study of the technical condition and the development of regulations for the safe operation of the reservoirs and water systems of the Republic of Artsakh, Professors Albert Margaryan and Arestak Sarukhanyan were awarded The Medal of Anania Shirakatsi and The Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots respectively.

In a conversation with us, looking back at the most important events and the work done throughout the past years, Professor Sarukhanyan remembers that when the goal of reconstruction of the water supply system of Stepanakert was set in 2008, the Government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic approached to the current National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia to assist by proposing “engineering” solutions to this vital project.

“We visited, studied the locality, and agreed to carry out the design work with the help of the University, which, however, was very difficult, as the University did not have sufficient resources to implement such a large volume of work,” says A. Sarukhanyan. He added that realizing the importance and urgency of the goal, the University recruited specialists and students, who invested all efforts and caring skills, and were able to solve this vital problem.

Professor Margaryan humbly notes. “I do not want to praise us but providing Stepanakert with a round-the-clock water supply is one of the glorious facts of the history of our University. It was widely believed that the problem was unsolvable due to the surface-groundwater of the city’s former water supply system. Another organization proposed to build a surface water reservoir to supply water to the city. Based on the calculations made by our specialists, it is possible to carry out round-the-clock water supply of the city through a

complete reconstruction of the existing water supply system of the city, taking into consideration the further growth of the city’s population. It was decided to replace the mechanical propulsion elements of the former water supply system with gravity feeding mode.”

The reconstruction of the water supply system of Stepanakert was entrusted to the specialists of our University. A. Sarukhanyan gives particular emphasis to Professor Razmik Petevotyan’s participation in the project, whose professional knowledge and skills have played a priceless role in the competent and effective development of the project. After approximately 18 months of hard work, about 84 project packages were presented. The construction works started, where our specialists were engaged as well, and in 2011, step by step, the project was put into operation successfully.

According to the Professor, the cooperation did not come to an end yet. After the reconstruction of the water supply system of Stepanakert, we were entrusted to carry out water supply works in the city of Martuni, which were also done with great devotion and the system is operating properly to this day.

More important and responsible year of 2011 followed, since the specialists of our University were again assigned to study and reveal the technical condition of the existing reservoirs in Artsakh. “This was a very extensive work that we did in 2011-2013. We examined the technical condition of the Sarsang Reservoir, which is the highest ground dam in the Caucasus, and presented a report of 13 volumes as well as presented a one-volume extensive summary of the study,” A. Sarukhanyan noted and added that during those years about 40 reservoirs were explored and given to the superior organizations of Artsakh.

NUACA Acting Rector, Yeghiazar Vardanyan, on behalf of the entire staff of the University, congratulated Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Albert Margaryan, and Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Arestak Sarukhanyan. He also addressed all the people who worked effectively and ensured that the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia will continue to make a contribution to projects of the essential fields for the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia.