Problem of Kura - Araks

In the basin of the river Kura lives about 6,8 million population. The extent of the river on the territory of Turkey makes 185 km, in Georgia 426 kms, and in Azerbaijan 790 kms. From the territory of Turkey Kura, across the border of Georgia excessively pollutes in the Georgian territory and flowing to Azerbaijan and then to the Caspian sea. In spite of the fact that in Georgia the Kura's water is not used for drinking , 2.500 km2 from 20.000 km2 of the river pool is used with the purposes of irrigation in agricultural production of food .
236270 ha of agricultural grounds gets under this areola . As for Azerbaijan, the Kura-river represents self actual unique resource of fresh water.
It is necessary to note, that among Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan there are no uniform control system of the river pool and monitoring of quality of water.
As already was marked, on the territory Georgia the Kura is excessively polluted. The basic sources of pollution are: municipal service, industrial enterprises, agricultural waste waters.
On Kura, in the territory of Georgia, three power stations are located: Zemoavchal, Ortachal and Chitakhev.
Unfortunately, the cities located in the pool of Kura river have not serviceable canalization system. Purification structure of municipal waters is not working effectively. The situation is complicated by that on these cities there are many wastes polygons, located close to the river. The shortage in this system of reconstruction and realization of routine work, caused by financial crisis existing in the country, have caused serious deterioration of quality of waters in the Kura river , particularly, increased of pollution by organic substances of Nitrogen and Phosphate.
The industrial enterprises of Tbilisi and Rustavi is a " hot points " of pollution of the river Kura. On the 1991 the Rustavi metallurgy factory used on industrial needs 153,9 mln of cubic metre of water of the river Kura. 136, 5 mln of cubic metre of used water flew down in Kura and polluted by its weighed particles (7100 tones ), Ammonia-Nitrogen (216,5 tone), petroleum (18 ò), Phenol (0,2 tone). On the 1992 outflows of polluted water in Kura by 31-th factories of Tbilisi have made 1,8 mln of cubic meter, which contained BOD (3,2 tone), Chrome (4,5 tone ), oil (1,5 tone).
Such pollution of Kura goes deep by drains of Gyanja, Yevlakh, Mingechaur, Kyurdamir, Alibayramli and some other cities of Azerbaijan and come into pump terminal of Baku water pipe, ensuring by drinking water about 2 mln population gets. Kura river united with Araks in Sabirabad region of Azerbaijan drags all ecological problems of South Caucasus to Caspian sea, which on power and fishy stocks is unique water basin of the world and determining factor in the establishment of the climate in Caspian region.
It is necessary to note, that on Kura delta the concentration of harmful impurity extreme allowable concentration exceed them: 10 time for phenol, 14 time for phosphate, 20 times for oil, 1,3 time for nitrates and etc..

Table 1. Chemical content (mg/l) Kura-river

In the right coast of the river Araks there are no menacing sources of pollution, on the way of passage of the river in Turkey and Iran, there are large populated area with an advanced industry. Thorough pollution and poisoning of water of Araks-river and its basic inflows occurs on the territory of Armenia. Almost the whole territory of Armenia concerns to pool of Araks .All wastes of the hundred populated areas without clearing merge in Àðàêñ and its inflows. Annually-average concentration in inflows of Araks on the territory of Armenia made: on Cuprum-30, ammonia Nitrogen -26, chloride-18, phenol-32 PMC. The annual-average concentration of petroleum in Araks reaches 0.73-1.3 mg/l.
Hydrochemical indexes (ml/l) water of Araks river

Indexes	Particles	Dry esidues	Chlorides	Nitrogen-ammonia	Nitrogen-nitrites	Azot-nitratniy	Phosphates
Quantity	41-140	1000-1100	200-342	0.05-2.60	0.03-0.04	2.2-2.5	0.1-0.3