MP Amends Bill to Exclude Additional Water Withdrawal from Lake Sevan

The head of the Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment of the National Assembly, Varazdat Karapetyan, has made an amendment to the bill he authored, which was adopted in the first reading. The amendment proposes to exclude the possibility of water withdrawal exceeding the annual limit of 170 million cubic meters from Lake Sevan.

During a conversation with journalists in the National Assembly on November 15, Karapetyan stated that the amendment aims to define only one case when the government can carry out water withdrawals beyond the established limit.

“After long discussions, I have included a change in the draft, stating that if the government declares a drought, and there are prerequisites that must be met for declaring a drought, then the government will have the right to apply to the National Assembly for additional water withdrawal. In all other cases, it will not have this right,” said Karapetyan.