The issue of increasing the quantity of water released from Lake Sevan by 100 million cubic meters of water turned out to be not only economic and ecological - it became political and, perhaps, even civilizational issue, exposing nature of the so-called 'elite' that has ruled in Armenia for a quarter of a century.
The country's media outlets regard the current government program on additional water release from Sevan as a recognition of lost opportunities for development of Armenia by the ruling parliamentary majority, which is protecting the government's initiative. Even if we assume that a real purpose of an additional release of water is not to protect coastal palaces and businesses in order to serve the light and shadow of the operations occurring on the Sevan-Hrazdan cascade, but an irrigation, then the fact that Armenia faced such a need due to an irrigation alone is an eloquent characteristic of Armenia's ruling system.
This decision looks especially piquant against the backdrop of the fact that for two decades the country has received tens of millions of dollars of loans specifically for the modernization of the water system. The parliamentary commission to study their use recorded what money in Armenia is thrown into the water and what waters are turned into money, but it had no legal consequences, like everything else in Armenia linked to the money passing through the 'elite's' hands. And the longer lending lasted, the more actively the problem of irrigation was given to the mercy of nature or Sevan. The over-loss of more than 50% of the water resources, by which they are trying to justify the release of water from Sevan, is the over-loss of more than 50% of the country's development potential, which was caused by poor governance, the lack of a state development strategy and the lack of understanding of value system.
Even now, political forces are making dividends on this acute problem, the Iravunk newspaper writes: "Representatives of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) voted against the bill on additional water release from Lake Sevanat a meeting of the standing parliamentary Commission on Agriculture last Monday. And earlier the Minister of Ecology, ARF Dashnaktsutyun member Artsvik Minasyan expressed his opinion against the bill. But on Tuesday, at an extraordinary session of the parliament, the Dashnak comrades changed their position by 180 degrees. It is difficult to say what caused such a turn. The 'opposition' in the person of the Tsarukyan bloc, though it does not like it, voted for the bill, and for the rather broadly represented in the government ARFD, which is part of the ruling coalition, it was easy - it's not the the first time when it plays such games. If the Dashnaks really went against the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) on the issue of Sevan, it is unlikely that the coalition continued its existence in its present form. Therefore, the Dashnaks, after raising certain objections, promptly changed their position in this process, perhaps, adding something to the 'balance' of the party, "Iravunk notes.
However, the RPA sees no problem in excess 100 million cubic meters of water: "I do not see any danger, indeed, it was a very delicate issue, it caused broad discussions. The issue of rendering assistance to 130,000 people is being resolved, which is currently the most important issue," the MP of the RPA parliamentary party Gemma Baghdasaryan said, commenting on the decision of the Armenian government regarding additional water release from Sevan, 1in.am reported.
According to her, if we consider two problems that the level of lake will drop by several centimeters and 130 thousand people will receive assistance, then, if there is no serious environmental problem, it is necessary to provide assistance.
Obviously, the Armenian parliamentarians did not see any problem either. However, it is understandable: if the order comes... Today, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted a controversial bill in the second and final reading - 77 deputies voted 'for' and 4 deputies - 'against'. According to the government's conclusion, the "extra" 100 million cubic meters will drop the level of the lake "only" by 8 cm, while its natural fluctuations are supposedly several times higher ...
