EcoLur
S.O.S Sevan initiative has addressed an open letter to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan requesting to call back the bill on the additional water intake from Lake Sevan submitted by the Armenian Government for the endorsement of the National Assembly. The open letter says,
'The discussions organized on 6 August upon your assignment, as a matter of fact, didn't have any public nature. The matter of the expediency of using the freshwater reserves of the strategic significance of the Republic of Armenia for irrigation purposes was not presented for the discussion of the wide public.
• The main focus in the rationale of RA Law 'On Making Amendments and Supplements to RA Law 'On Approving Annual and Complex Programs for Recovery, Conservation, Reproduction and Use of Lake Sevan Ecosystem' is the deficit of the irrigation water: there is no word about the environmental, social and economic risks related to the conservation and preservation of Lake Sevan ecosystem and the decrease in the water level.
• Certain facts and figures were not presented during the discussion of the bill at the government in relation to the number of illegal water users from Sevan-Hrazdan irrigation system, its volumes, any information concerning the limits of the amounts set by RA Law 'On National Water Program' with the water intake carried out with the water use permits issued to fish farms in Ararat Valley.
• Only a general comment was made on the rehabilitation of the irrigation system and improvement trends not presenting the sources of the funds and timeframes required for this process.
• The statement made by the government was not convincing that the profit made from the produced electricity will be directed to the modernization of Sevan-Hrazdan irrigation system, which will result in the decrease in the loss of water resources, as during 2017 the profit made from the difference between the earnings of 'International Energetic Corporation' and 'Electric Networks of Armenia' from the sale of the electricity produced with the help of the water intake exceeding 170 million cum and the expenses currently makes up1645139600.0 AMD, which, actually, hasn't been spent on the modernization of Sevan-Hrazdan water intake system. Moreover, according to letter № 07/ԱԿ/10/4915-18 (27.08.2018) sent by Secretary General of RA Ministry for Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, the draft resolution of the Armenian Government on transferring this amount to the Armenian budget is currently being put into circulation.
Based on the aforementioned arguments, S.O.S Sevan Initiative, which unites the Public Environmental Alliance, EcoLur, Association For Sustainable Human Development, Center for Bird Lover, Khazer, Shogher, Territorial Administration and Research Center, Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment, Martuni Women's Community Council Forests of Armenia, Blejan, Consumer Support Center, Caucasus, Youth Ideas, Healthy Life, Araza, Legal Research and Development Center, Geghama Territorial Youth Association, Biosophia NGOs and 55 activists is applying to you requesting to call back the bill of RA Law 'On Approving Annual and Complex Programs for Recovery, Conservation, Reproduction and Use of Lake Sevan Ecosystem' expecting further cooperation for all the stakeholders.
S.O.S Sevan Initiative
August 27, 2018 at 19:56