Thursday, May 7 2020 13:50

ArmInfo.Now, the former Minister of the Environment has presented the results of his two-year work.  In his statement, Grigoryan noted that all the employees of the  ministry, despite recent criticism and often unfair treatment, did  everything possible to solve the problems inherited for decades.  

Meanwhile, the work done did not get the proper assessment, against  the background, as he put it, of sensational and commented news. <I  want to thank  Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol  Pashinyan and my colleagues from the government for cooperation and  joint efforts. In the end, environmental protection it is concerned  all of us, regardless of profession, place of work or preference>,  the  former minister said.

Presenting the results of his work as a minister, Grigoryan, in  particular, touched upon the volumes of violations revealed in  various fields. So, only in the coastal areas of Sevan managed to  detect about 500 hectares of illegally seized territories. For the  first time, an inventory of leases of the Sevan national park was  carried out, as a result of which some of them were liquidated, and  more than 100 contracts are disputed in court. Also, within the  framework of EU-Armenia cooperation, a grant program of 5 million  reuros was approved, aimed at preserving the ecosystem of Lake Sevan.  

In addition, a program was launched to restore the population of  koghak, which is funded by private funds. On a grant from the German  government of 500 thousand euros, it is also planned to carry out  studies of water quality in Sevan.

As for the sector of hydroelectric power plants, for the first time,  thanks to legislative changes, hydroelectric power plants for  increased water intake should compensate for damage to water  resources, which in the case of 1 cubic meter/ sec amounts to 63  million drams per year (before the administrative fine was 50-100  thousand drams). At the same time, water meters were installed in 133  of the 197 hydroelectric power stations, of which 62 allow real-time  information to be obtained. It is noteworthy that three years before  the "velvet revolution", only 15 protocols on water use violations  were sent to the environmental inspectorate, but only in the first  year after the revolution - more than 300.

A large-scale fight against illegal logging was also carried out,  including through legislative changes that criminally and  administratively punish foresters for facilitating illegal acts. In  addition, for the first time, "Hayantar" employees were provided with  overalls and appropriate technical equipment, and in 2019, 424  million drams were allocated from the budget for loosening work for  this SNCO. The implementation of numerous programs to promote  specially protected natural areas also continues; A number of social  assistance grant programs were signed for communities adjacent to the  protected areas. In addition, cartography and inventory of a number  of specially protected natural areas were completed.  

As for the mining industry, a database for 49 abandoned / ownerless  tailings and other accumulations of mining waste was created for the  first time; the corresponding order approved the first 10 territories  to be recultivated. Based on the research of the organization  <ELARD>, a professional assessment was carried out and problem points  of the Amulsar project were presented. In addition, damage to land  resources was revised, as a result of which the size of payments  increased by 50 times. Applications were submitted for the  termination of subsoil use rights of 3 metal deposits, which have  already been suspended; at the moment, applications for another 72  deposits have been sent to the authorized body. The waste accumulated  in the tailing dump was classified as hazardous (4th class), and  mining enterprises, for the first time in the history of Armenia,  will pay an environmental fee for waste disposal from 2021.  

To recall, on May 5, the President of Armenia signed a decree on the  dismissal of the Minister of Environmental Protection Erik Grigoryan.   At the same time, Grigoryan personally submitted his resignation.   Erik Grigoryan was appointed Minister of the Environment of the  Republic of Armenia on June 1 of last year, and before that, from May  12, 2018, he held the post of Minister of Nature Protection of the  Republic of Armenia.