Residents of several villages in Shirak Province of Armenia have closed off the Yerevan-Gyumri motorway—at the Beniamin village section—demanding that the authorities immediately resolve their irrigation water problem.

The situation is tense at the closed part of the motorway, as hundreds of cars have built up there.

Those in charge at the Shirak department of the Union of Water Users of Armenia have come to speak with these protesting villagers, and they assure that this issue will be settled today.

Farmers demand a final solution to this issue.

The police have not yet managed to persuade the protesters to reopen the road.

Movses Manukyan, head of the agriculture department at the Shirak provincial hall, told Armenpress that this is not the first year that the local farmers have an irrigation water problem due to drought.