ATTACK ON LAKE SEVAN

The extraordinary session of the National Assembly on August 19 will discuss amendments to the law on the restoration, preservation, reproduction and exploitation of the ecosystem of Lake Sevan. They have foreseen a dramatic increase in the volume of water used from the lake: 360 million cubic liters instead of the former 240 million cubic liters. By the way, this is the second attack on Lake Sevan during this year. By a similar decision on June 10 the volume of water from the lake used annually was increased from 170 million cubic meters to 240 million. The amendments have caused serious worry among the society, the organizations concerned with the environmental problems of Lake Sevan. In reality the problem is much more important. Lake Sevan is one of the greatest treasures of the Armenian people. Lowering its level is a crime. Even the Soviet Union acknowledged its mistake and built costly tunnels to raise the level of water. This unprecedented volume of fresh water even in the world has a great strategic importance, especially when one of the urgent issues in the world is becoming the issue of drinking water. In other words, any issue or bill that relates to Lake Sevan must be inferior to the issue of preserving and raising its level, except for the necessity of using it in extreme conditions. The justification of the bill presented to the National Assembly is false. There is no evaluation of experts regarding environmental issues. The solution of such an issue of national strategic importance without serious expert and open public debates is unacceptable. Discarding the problem of raising the level of Lake Sevan, according to innumerable experts, will have a destructive impact on the environment. On the whole, this program of lowering the level of water by 40 cm is obscure. For generating cheap electricity in water power plants and boosting budget receipts it will be of trifling use. The peak of irrigation has passed. The only suggestion is that this crime is committed out of the individual interests of some people or groups of people. The program of raising the level of Lake Sevan cannot be obstructed by the facilities on the coast. If the land for those facilities was allotted illegally, the wrongdoers should be brought before justice, and the owners of legal facilities must get compensation. Nobody’s personal interest or business is superior to the people’s wealth, Lake Sevan and the environmental problems relating to it. Proceeding from the abovementioned, the Armenian National Congress demands that the government cancel the discussion of the amendments at the parliament, and present any bill concerning Lake Sevan only in case it is based on serious environmental studies and after an interested and open public debate. ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS CENTRAL OFFICE 18/08/2008

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