Friday, November 23 2018 15:28

ArmInfo. Employees of reserves and specially protected areas have increased salaries by 40%, and in some cases 100%, Acting Minister of Nature Protection of Armenia Eric  Grigoryan announced on November 23 at a meeting with journalists. 

He noted that the specially protected areas were equipped with modern  appliances and the lighting system was updated. They were also given  fire trucks.

As for international programs, at the moment, according to the Acting  Minister, programs worth $ 78 million are being implemented. Thus, $  1 million was allocated for the modernization of the monitoring  system, $ 1.5 million was allocated to the pilot waste management  program from the closed quarry in Artik city, the German Development  Bank allocated a grant of 23.2 million euros to preserve biodiversity  in the country, there is also a contract between Armenia and the  British Embassy on "Improving the management of specially protected  areas", 11.3 million drams was allocated for this program.

Due to legislative changes, the procedures for the construction of  hydropower plants on rivers were tightened. "In addition, the  agreement on 117 million drams was canceled for cleaning the coastal  areas of Sevan Lake ", Grigoryan said.

He also said that for the first time in Armenia a waste-sorting  infrastructure was created at the garbage dump in Ararat region.

To note, while the Acting Minister held a press conference,  representatives of the Armenian Ecological Front tried to enter the  building below. At the end of the press conference, they entered the  reception room of the acting Minister, demanded to meet with him and  stated that they intend to raise important issues.  They also  demanded a live broadcast. Grigoryan agreed to meet with them,  however, flatly refused to live.  As a result, the parties did not  come to a consensus, and representatives of the Armenian Ecological  Front retired from the Ministry.