Photo by Hraparak.am

Republican Party lawmaker Rafik Girgoryan sees nothing strange about the decision to allow the release of 150 cubic meters of water from Lake Sevan.

Speaking to Tert.am on Sunday, the ruling party member commented upon the opposition’s protest against the bill, calling upon the minority parties to propose an alternative instead of voicing disapproval.

According to him, protesting a bill without saying anything implies populism otherwise.

“Though this year saw a lot of snow, the heavy precipitations in spring should have also been accompanied by rains. But there was almost new rain, and we came face to face with the fact that we need to give water to a villager. As a specialist in the sector, I have to say that releasing an extra quantity of water will not cause any problem,” he said.

Asked whether the bill is really seen as a measure to combat draught or is rather aimed at saving several businessmen’s hotels from the waters of Sevan, Grigoryan said that the water level in the lake is going up thanks to government-approved policies that give precedence to the protection of Sevan.

“The government has numerously warned that there will be no compensation for any property that may go beneath water. Over these years, we faced water demand twice, in 2008 and this year. So it is necessary to supply a villager with water,” he said, adding that the water release would decrease the lake’s level only by 13 cm.

The bill, proposed recently by the cabinet, was approved by the National Assembly on Friday with an overwhelming majority of votes. 

Several public and environmental activists had earlier protested the plan, expressing strong concerns over its environmental impact.