ArmInfo.The civil society has been talking about the problem of Sevan for many years, and today urgent steps need to be taken to save it. Inga Zarafyan, president of "EcoLur" Informational NGO reported this on July 16 at the press conference in Yerevan.
In her opinion, the responsibility for the situation on the lake lies with the government of the country. The ecologist emphasized that the level of Sevan should not be lower than 1905 meters so that the lake could form a protective layer, due to which the appearance of algae and the risks of waterlogging are prevented. "We have already sent a letter to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with an appeal to mobilize the people to solve the problem of Sevan," she added.
Inga Zarafyan also pointed out the presence of buildings on the Sevan coast, including illegal ones, which should be checked and made decisions. When the level rises to the required 1905 meters, 4729 buildings may be under water. <It is obvious that in some restaurants it is served, for example, whitefish, and in large numbers, but for some reason the relevant government departments turn a blind eye to this. Back in 2007- 2008, it was decided to start dismantling some objects, but so far nothing has been done. In addition, roads and high-voltage lines may also be under water. We have raised all these questions since 2001, but so far there is no solution, "the ecologist concluded.
She explained that small Sevan is already swamping, and the statements that the lake is self-cleaning, do not correspond to reality, since algae, as well as other substances, simply settle and sooner or later rise again. "The authorities need to show political will, conduct a comprehensive study, assess risks, carry out cartographic work. Without this, it is impossible to say exactly what is happening and, most importantly, it is important to determine the directions of work. For now, we see that there are bills on Sevan in parliament, but there are no actions, there are only some appeals, "Inga Zarafyan added.