Sevan water draw-off will not be decreased in 2017

ArmInfo. In 2017 the Sevan water  draw-off will not go above norms of 170 mln cubic m. Armenian  Government took that decision on May 4.

According to Arsen Harutyunyan, the Head of the State Committee for  Water Management, despite snowy winter of 2016-2017, as of today  compared to the same period a year ago there is retardation from the  schedule for 65 mln cub m. "Snowy winter was not followed by rains  and it resulted great deal of water be vanished" he stressed.

As a result, now, as Harutyunyan noted, the level of water in  irrigative water storage basins decreased for 6-7% compared a year  ago. "Which is why we cannot decrease water draw off", he added. 

To note, in 2014 releases from Lake Sevan formed 270 mln cub m, in  2015-2016-170 mln cub.m.  Armenian the changes in law on  "reconstruction and protection of ecosystem in Lake Sevan", in  accordance to them by 2019 water releases from Sevan will be  increased for irrigative needs. The level of water releases' extent  for each year is being installed in accordance to water storage in  irrigative system of Ararat valley. In 2019 it is planned to  construct a number of water storage basins, that would solve the  problem of irrigative water gathering and there will be no need to  increase water releases from Lake Sevan