– On June 22, the NA by two readings adopted a bill to drain 320 million cubic meters of water from Sevan. What is your opinion about that bill? What is your opinion about this bill?
– To be frank, the adoption of this bill was surprising for me because this year we obviously had snow-full winter. The explanation of the government was that April and May were dry months and that despite winter snow the reservoirs are empty; the flow of rivers has been cut and under the current circumstances the only chance is Sevan. They say that the snow melted and flowed not into the dams but penetrated into the water. Even if it is so, then we should know that the water is never lost. This also means that the land should have been damper, which should have been reflected on the surface. It means there is some kind of mystery here. Perhaps science should review this matter to disclose this mystery. There is one hope-inspiring fact in the decision of the government, according to which the drainage amount will be up to 320 million cubic meters instead of exactly 320 million cubic meters. Here the hands of the government are free. It is also evident that there is no drought. The government claims that we are having a dry year because of low precipitation in April and May, as a result of which the dams are empty. However, if we are comparing the dams of Aparan and Azat then the water amount is the same as in 2009. But back then, they didn’t record such an emergency situation.
– The compare the current situation with 2008 when the government decided to drain 303 million cubic meters of water from Sevan.
– In 2008, they declared drought. Back then we conducted research and discovered that the threat of drought is not very realistic because they were comparing 2008 with 2007 and 2007 was a quite humid year. We have proved that during ten years we had had dryer years but according to official data even back then Sevan was not drained.
– In that case, what do you think the actual reason of drainage from Sevan is or the mystery as you mentioned? Why did they suddenly remember the drought?
– I am having a hard time answering this question and I don’t want to link this question to the villas on the beach. Perhaps there was an omission and there is an opinion that during the first cycle of snow melting the dams wouldn’t fill with water. The dams need a serious renovation because they cannot keep the water in a full amount.
– But isn’t the matter of villas enough ground and motivation for the government to drain Sevan?
– In order to claim this we need evidence. It’s very hard to prove this. Perhaps there are other reasons. Maybe the beaches of Sevan are not ready or the forests are not clean. I am more inclined to assume this. As of the statement of the government that the year is going to have little precipitation, the nature contradicted this decision to drain Sevan because in Armenia we never had so much precipitation in June and July.
– In that case, why was the bill adopted?
– There is no need for a new bill. The government decision says that up to 320 million cubic meters will be released, which assumes that the government may drain 200 or 250 million cubic meters. I am also concerned by another fact. The farmers complain that they never receive enough water on time because they are not able to pay on time and instead the water goes to Azerbaijan. This is the problem because it turns out that farming is not profitable for small businesses. One gets shocked after visiting the villages and seeing how the villages get abandoned. The water issue must be solved. We should think of new mechanisms and solutions. It turns out that we drain Sevan but as the villagers are not able to pay for water the water goes to Azerbaijan. This is absurd. Let me also mention that about 10 days ago I met with Deputy-Premier Armen Gevorgyan and discussed the drainage issue of Sevan. Gevorgyan was trying to prove that there is evidently the necessity to do so to saving the farmers’ economy and that the government had made the right decision.
– Mrs. Danielyan, before this decision of the government you have numerously said that the level of Sevan has gone up and that it’s a big achievement. And so now we lose the achievement very easily by the decision of the government.
– We are losing this achievement. The lake’s current stage is between favorable and unfavorable. In the central parts self-cleaning is taking place. But the situation is really sad on shores. In this case, it’s necessary to clean the beaches and increase the water level. But by making such decisions of drainage we are directly harming the lake.
– What exactly will the drainage cause and harm?
– It will harm the quality of water and the self-cleaning of the central part of the lake, which may regress. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister and Vladimir Movisisyan in charge of Sevan within the government are outside Armenia in order to discuss this matter within committees. The specialists must discuss this matter. I think 170 or maximum 200 million cubic meters of water is allowed to drain from Sevan. The matter is fatal for Sevan. The water management system must be revised step by step. It seems that a lot of things are wrong there. We should discuss with the scientists what should be changed in this system. We have had such issues several times in 1995, 1997-1998. So this is not the first mystery. The second mystery was in 2008 and now we have the third.