EcoLur
“Hurry up to amuse the picturesque nature of Argitchi for the last time. We are not able to do anything in this atmosphere of fear,” residents of communities adjacent to the Argitchi River are beating an alarm.
It’s already several months since construction works of small hydropower plant have been carried out in the territory adjacent to Verin Getashen and Madina communities, on the Argitchi River, though on 19 July 2012 the Armenian Government approved the bill on making amendments to RA Law “On Lake Sevan.” The bill offers to ban construction of small HPPs in the basin of Lake Sevan taking into consideration the negative impact on water ecosystem in natural water flows, particularly on the fish. Moreover, the construction of the small HPP is carried out without any permitting documents.
Nature Protection Ministry Staff Head Edgar Pirumyan in his letter addressed to Gavar Aarhus Center Coordinator Liana Asoyan informed, “On 02.11.2004 the Agency for Water Resources Management of the Staff of Nature Protection Ministry of Armenia issued to “Hydrocorporation” LLC a water usage permit no. 0545 to construct a small HPP on the Argitchi River, Gegharkounik Region, with validity term of 02.03.2005, at the same time mentioning in Clause 4 of additional terms and conditions of water usage permit, an integral part thereof, that “in case of issuing a license of SMH constructing license to “Hydrocorporation” LLC” by the Committee on Regulating Public Services, the term of water usage permit is set by the term laid down in the license.”
According to S.O.S Argitchi initiative group, the HPP construction will result in dehydration of almost half of the Argitchi River, the natural connection with Lake Sevan will be disturbed, the picturesque landscape will be changed, natural reproduction of the populations of red-listed summer trout, brown trout and bakhtak will be undermined and irrigation in several communities will be put under question.
On 18 July 2012 during its visit to Khosrov reserve, EcoLur applied to First Nature Protection Deputy Minister Simon Papyan about the construction of small HPP on the Argitchi River flowing into Lake Sevan. The Deputy Minister promised to send an inspector to sort out the situation on the spot. Nevertheless, no inspection findings have been published so far, and it’s unclear whether or not inspections have been carried out.
Taking into consideration the aforementioned EcoLur requires from Nature Protection Ministry to stop the construction works of a small HPP implemented by “Hydrocorporation” LLC on the Argitchi River and to assess the damage caused to the ecosystem of Lake Sevan.
September 25, 2012 at 11:29