Arpi Lake Dries Up - From 35.4 Million to 5 Million Cubic Meters of Drinking Water

“Today we received alarming news and photos that Arpi Lake has dried up. We checked the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ website and found that indeed only 5 million cubic meters of water remain in the lake. For comparison, this time last year there were 35.4 million cubic meters,” reported the Armenian Environmental Front on their Facebook page.

They noted that to clarify the unclear situation, they contacted the Water Committee, which responded as follows: “We inform you that the valve system of the lake and the valve junction of the water intake require urgent repairs, for which permission has been obtained through the appropriate procedures to lower the lake level to the appropriate mark. Currently, design work is underway. The Water Committee has appealed to the higher authorities of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of the Republic of Armenia, and the Ministry of Territorial Administration has appealed to the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia.”

“To be honest, we are surprised by this explanation, as it cannot be considered a reasonable decision to solve the problem of repairing a valve junction by drying out the lake. Let us also remind that Arpi Lake is a National Park, meaning it is a specially protected area of nature, and we believe that this action contradicts the laws of the Republic of Armenia and the charter and conservation regime of this National Park,” concluded the Armenian Environmental Front.