EcoLur Informational NGO sent a request to RA Environment Minister Romanos Petroyan regarding the overexploitation of the underground water resources in Ararat Valley, as the inquiry says. The substantiation of decision “On approval of procedure for the use of land (drainage) systems of the Republic of Armenia, fees and exemplary contract" 1201 A, which, in particular, says: "The design capacity of the Republic's onshore (drainage) systems is 36.3 m3/sec or 1145.0 million m3/year ensuring the drainage of water to Metsamor, Hrazdan, and finally to the Araks River. At present, the average annual volume of water discharged is about 50 m3/s or about 1.6 billion m3/year.
According to Article 6 of RA Law on National Water Program, the renewable groundwater resources of the Ararat Valley amount to 1.1 billion m3/year.
Thus, under the decision 1201A of RA Government dated on July 22, 2021, it is substantiated that there is an overexploitation of the groundwater in Ararat Valley as of 2021, which has irreversible consequences for Ararat Valley.
We would like to ask you to inform:
During the last 5 years, what measures has RA Environment Ministry taken to prevent the overexploitation of groundwater resources in Ararat Valley to reduce water intake, and how much water has been saved as a result?
· As of December 2021, what is the water intake from the underground water basin of the Ararat Valley according to the fish farming, irrigation and water use permits issued for the operation of the Armenian nuclear power plant?
· Does the Ministry have a roadmap of actions, as a result of the measures to be taken, when the amount of water intake from the groundwater basin of the Ararat Valley will reach the threshold of 1.1 billion cubic meters laid down in Law on National Water Program?
· What actions did Water Resources Management Department of RA Environment Ministry take within its powers in 2020-2021 to prevent cases of illegal water use, as well as additional water intake from the water intake envisaged in WT?
· Does Environment Ministry have a study on how climate change has affected Ararat artesian basin, particularly in the context of climate change, groundwater depletion, and their interrelationships? If yes, please provide the final outcomes of that study."
December 07, 2021 at 15:55