Artsvik Minasyan reported on over-use of water resources in Ararat valley

ArmInfo. In Armenia there is a  fact of over-use of water resources of the Ararat valley. On December  25, at a meeting with journalists, the Minister of Nature Protection  of Armenia stated on December 25.

According to the head of the Ministry of Nature Protection, the  department has registered 239 fish farms in the Ararat Valley (owning  584 deep wells) that have a valid water use permit. Of them, Minasyan  explained, only 124 operate, 89 of which use water in the established  volume, and 28 - more. In 86 deep wells out of 250 in 115  non-operating farms free-purpose outflow of water is 792 liters per  second. In general, the total actual volume of used water by these  farms in the annual section was 660 million cubic meters. In the  course of 2017, one fish farm was disbanded in the Ararat valley, 16  - it was mothballed, 150 reservoirs were closed, as a result, the  amount of water saved for the project was 159 million cubic meters m.

Next year, according to the minister, excessive use of water  resources will cost these farms a pretty penny.  In particular, from  January 1, the Tax Code will come into force, within the framework of  which the use of 1 cubic meter of water for fish-breeding purposes of  the over-permitted rate will amount to 1,5 AMD. If the farm uses  water without a permit for water use, an additional 1 cubic meter  water will cost 5 AMD.