Armenia to raise water releases from Lake Sevan to 200 million cubic meters

YEREVAN, September 12. /ARКА/. The Armenian Parliament has approved today in the first reading a draft law proposing amendments to the legislation that regulates release of water from Lake Sevan for irrigation purposes.

According to Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, David Khudatyan, it has become essential to increase the water releases from Lake Sevan by 30 million cubic meters to a total of 200 million cubic meters, as opposed to the initially planned 170 million cubic meters, in order to address the irrigation water shortage for farms caused by dry weather.

"The dry weather has led to a significant reduction in water flow in the Marmarik, Hrazdan, Kasakh, and Azat rivers. Consequently, the releases from reservoirs and Lake Sevan were scheduled 10 days earlier than last year to meet the water demand," Khudatyan remarked.

As for large reservoirs, the Minister indicated that as of September 10, the total volume was 225 million cubic meters, which is approximately 140 cubic meters less than the same time last year.

The opposition has voiced concerns, arguing that the increased releases from Lake Sevan could adversely affect the lake's water level. Alen Simonyan, the Chairman of the National Assembly, mentioned that this bill will be reviewed under a special procedure, operating in a 24-hour mode.

About Lake Sevan

Lake Sevan serves as the primary source of drinking water in the region and is one of the largest highland lakes in both Europe and Asia. It is situated in the center of the Armenian Highland, at an elevation of 1914 meters. The lake extends over 70 kilometers from northwest to southeast, with its water surface area nearing 1.5 thousand square kilometers. The lake receives water from 28 rivers.-0-