Yerevan preparing to drain lake Sevan

Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Vache Terteryan presented a project, according to which a significant increase in water intake from Lake Sevan is planned. According to him, the increase in water intake is necessary for agricultural needs.

The intake of additional 70 million cubic meters of water from lake Sevan was suggested. As a result, up to 240 million cubic meters of water is to be released from the lake in 2023 instead of the maximum 170 million cubic meters set by law.

However, the expert commission for the conservation of Lake Sevan of Armenia's National Academy of Sciences rejected the project, which provides for an increase in water intake from Sevan.

Earlier, water resources analyst Knarik Hovhannisyan warned that Sevan is gradually turning into a swamp. This is facilitated by such factors as the lack of water purification of the rivers flowing into Sevan, the discharge of water from tourist bases near the lake, as well as excessive water intake.