EcoLur
On January 30 the Armenian Government approved the proposal submitted by the State Committee on Water Industry of Territorial Administration Ministry in regard with additional water outlets from Lake Sevan. Under RA Law “On Making Amendments to RA Law “On state complex program on the recovery, preservation, reproduction and natural development and usage of Lake Sevan ecosystem””, the water outlets from Lake Sevan will make 240 million sq. meters instead of previous 170 million sq meters till 1 January 2019.
Despite public complaints and Nature Protection Ministry’s remarks, which is the main body in charge of the conservation of Lake Sevan ecosystem, the project hasn’t undergone any changes.
Thus, the public had proposed an interim version – to reduce the duration of the project up to one year and to rehabilitate the irrigation systems in the given timeframe, where up to 40% of the water is lost (17% under State Committee on Water Industry). The Nature Protection Ministry had proposed to ensure the positive balance of Lake Sevan.
The first point of the proposal made by Nature Protection Ministry hasn’t been accepted. What about the second clause, the project certificate says that the opinions of the stakeholders are met, nevertheless, the opinions from Hydroecology and Ichthyology Institute of NAS RA and Armenian State Hydrometeorological and Monitoring Service of Ministry of Emergency States are missing.
Agriculture Ministry, Health, Justice and Finance Ministries and Agency for Expertise of Legal Acts have granted their positive opinions.
January 30, 2014 at 15:08