Government seeks to increase release of irrigation water from Lake Sevan by 100 million cubic meters
The Armenian government approved today a set of amendments to the draft law "On Annual and Comprehensive Program of Measures for the Restoration, Conservation, Reproduction and Utilization of the Lake Sevan Ecosystem,’ which, if approved by the parliament, would allow to pump out 100 million cubic meters of irrigation water additionally from the lake in addition to 170 million, permitted by the law.
According to the government, the volume of water in the irrigation reservoirs is now by 207 million cubic meters less than in 2016. According to Arsen Harutyunyan, the chairman of the State Water Committee, the additional release of water will save about 1 billion drams on the launch of pumping stations.
He noted that the additional release of water will not affect the ecosystem of the lake since as of June 20, 2017 its level was 18 cm higher when compared to June 20, 2016. He said the additional release may decrease the lake’s level by only 8 cm.
In this regard, prime minister Karen Karapetyan stressed that the level of the lake is rising more rapidly than planned by the government until 2030.
The minister of agriculture Ignaty Arakelyan added that today there is a real irrigation risk, and taking into account all natural and climatic disasters, it is necessary to take steps to support agriculture.
Lake Sevan is the main source of drinking water in the region, and is one of the largest high-mountain lakes in Europe and Asia, located in the heart of the Armenian upland, at an altitude of 1914 meters. By 2030 the level of the lake is to rise to 1,903.5 meters above sea level.-0-