Monday, 21 June 2010
Water management: progress is evident
Today Head of State Water Management Committee by the Ministry of Territorial Administration Andranik Andreasyan met with journalists at the press center of RA government.
3 main topics were touched upon: drinking and irrigating water-related problems, operation and maintenance of Armenia’s largest hydro-engineering facility – Arpa-Sevan tunnel. The speaker informed that an Abu-Dhabi Development Fund-supported tax program for repair of all damaged sections of the tunnel has been implemented for a couple of years now. Design work under this program is already complete. The SWMC head gave a pledge of undisrupted operations of the tunnel for the years ahead.
180 million cubic meters of water was transferred to Sevan during this year. Currently Sevan’s level is at 1901 meters, as much as in 1960. Andranik Andreasyan advised that 9.1 million cubic meters have already been taken up from Lake Sevan. All major water basins of Armenia are filled up to overflowing, especially Azat, Aparan and Akhurian reservoirs.
Several investment projects are underway in the system, the most important of which is that of the MCA-Armenia.
Underway is Marmarik dam construction, which is the first such project implemented since independence. It will provide extra 22-23 million cubic meters water supplementing Lake Sevan. The project will have been completed by yearend.
44 water-user companies and 3 wholesale suppliers are operational at this point of time, which have met the timetable of spring irrigation campaign preparations. The emergencies caused by bad weather were addressed at the Government’s June 17 session. Over 220.000 contracts have been signed with water-users covering an area of 130.000 hectares.
Andranik Andreasyan addressed a number of queries concerning the passage to 22-hour drinking water supply in Yerevan. This schedule was said to have been approved based on logger system findings recorded in Yerevan. According to a survey conducted last May by “Yerevan Jour” at ten sample sites situated in the capital city, drinking water supply averaged 21.9 hours a day in the capital city.
Donor organizations were said to take greater interest in making investments in the system of sewerage. Both the World Bank and the EBRD and ADB are involved in this sphere. A number of projects were carried out by the USAID last year. The Aeration Clearing Station Project will be completed with the help of the French government.
