ArmInfo. By September 1, 2019, the water level in Sevan did not undergo annual changes, amounting to 1900.63 m. This is stated in the official statement of the Water Committee of the Republic of Armenia.
According to the source, as of the reporting date, water withdrawal from Sevan amounted to 129,044 million cubic meters. m. of water, which is less than the indicator of the previous year by 26.2% or 46 million cubic meters. m. The volume of water entering the lake through the Arpa-Sevan tunnel, as of September 1 of this year amounted to 148 343 million cubic meters. m., with annual growth of 12.8%. In addition, the report says that this year, in comparison with the past, there is no need for additional releases of water from the lake. Moreover, it is expected that another 5-10 million cubic meters will be saved in the system. m. of the maximum allowable limit of 170 million cubic meters. m. if weather conditions permit.
"Such savings this year were made possible thanks to effective steps taken since the beginning of the year in the irrigation system and favorable weather, which contributed to the accumulation of more water in the reservoirs," the report said.
The Committee also considers it necessary to recall that all the figures presented related to Sevan are measurements of the hydrometeorological service of the Ministry of Emergencies, which the agency periodically publishes.
Recall that on August 30, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on his Facebook page reported that as of August 26, 2019, compared to the same period last year, 45 million 616 thousand cubic meters were taken from Lake Sevan . less water. "Everything is going to ensure that this year the discharge of water from Lake Sevan will not exceed the threshold established by law (170 million cubic meters - Ed.) And the water level in Sevan will begin to rise," the prime minister wrote.
Recall that on June 6, the government decided that in 2019 water releases from Lake Sevan will not exceed 170 million cubic meters. According to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan, the need to draw water from Lake Sevan is due to the need to irrigate 32 thousand hectares of agricultural land in the Armavir, Ararat, Kotayk and Aragatsont regions of the republic. The reservoirs of the republic, as the minister noted, are full, but they are out of the reach of the above areas. The Office will do everything in its power to exclude additional water withdrawals. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that 170 million cubic meters. m. fit into the volumes stipulated by the current legislation of the country. Nevertheless, as the head of government emphasized, it is necessary to use the lake's waters as efficiently as possible in order to prevent additional releases, even despite the expected heat.