Armenian government to ask parliament to allow additional release of water from lake Sevan for irrigation

YEREVAN, August 6. /ARKA/. The Armenian government gave today the green light to additional release of water from the country’s largest lake Sevan for irrigation purposes in 2021.

According to an earlier government’s decision, only 170 million cubic meters of water can be pumped out from the lake for irrigation. This volume is to be increased to 245 million cubic meters this year. The proposed additional release needs to be approved by the parliament.

According to the Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Minister Gnel Sanosyan, the additional release is to partially mitigate the deficit of irrigation water. Sanosyan said that as of August 1 of this year, there were 226.21 million cubic meters of water in the country’s largest water reservoirs, which was by 125.77 million cubic meters less than on August 1, 2020.

According to him, due to hot weather and low rainfall, water flows in the Marmarik, Hrazdan, Kassakh and Azat rivers sharply decreased, and to cover the water shortage, releases from Sevan for irrigation needs this year began 10 days earlier than last year.

According to the current legislation, the annual permitted volume of water release from Lake Sevan is 170 million cubic meters. In 2017, due to dry weather the volume was increased by 100 million cubic meters. In 2018, the parliament approved release of water up to 210 million cubic meters. In 2020, the volume of release did not exceed the permitted limit.
Lake Sevan is the main source of drinking water in the region, one of the largest alpine lakes in Europe and Asia, located in the heart of the Armenian Highlands, at an altitude of 1914 meters.

It is fed by 28 rivers and streams. The only river that originates from it is Hrazdan. Lake Sevan has significant economic, cultural, and recreational value. Its only island (now a peninsula) is home to a medieval monastery. -0