EcoLur
The bill on increase in water outlets from Lake Sevan up to 320 million cubic meters instead of limited 170 million for the purpose of ensuring Ararat valley with irrigation water has resolute nature. The Armenian government introduced the bill at the National Assembly. Thus, the substantiation submitted by the State Committee on Water Industry that the year is arid and that Azat and Aparan reservoirs can't ensure irrigation, doesn't comply with the reality. The Hydrometeroservice doesn't confirm that 2012 is arid. The data on the fullness of the water reservoirs suppose that the indicators do comply with, for example, with the indicators for 2009 when water outlets from Sevan complied with the reality.
Despite all this, the parliamentarian committee on agriculture and nature protection headed by Chairman Samvel Balasanyan approved the bill. The expert group on Lake Sevan preservation headed by Vladimir Movsisyan concluded that water outlets can be increased up to 280 million cubic meters. Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia hasn't so far published its official position.
Though the project was considered at the government meeting on 14 June, and the discussion process has just been launched in the parliament, and in 2012 the sluices on Sevan-Hrazdan tunnel, where water is directed to Ararat Valley was opened in early May, though the season usually starts from 15 June. That is, a month and a half before introduding the proposals, in the most water-full season, water from Sevan was let out in the full range. And the now the aqueduct is full to the brims. In very Ararat valley, farmers many times applied to the authorities with a request to allow them to pay the fees for irrigation after harvesting. Nevertheless, no indulgences are given to them. No money means to water. Land areas are not cultivated because of low pay-ability of farmers. The land salination process is in progress. Around 30,000 ha of agricultural land areas in Ararat Valley turn into saline lands.
On this background, the government speaks about the needs of farmers and decreases lake Sevan. In our opinion, the substantiation of this proposal has other reasons, and if they are essential and have real grounds, we have a right to know about them.
June 21, 2012 at 14:55