YEREVAN. – Overall, the Government of Armenia gave a positive assessment to the bill on banning the construction of small hydro power plants (HPPs) at Lake Sevan basin.

This draft law is prepared by MPs Vahagn Makhsudyan (Prosperous Armenia Party) and Khachik Harutyunyan (coalition Government’s junior member Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) Party). And the reasoning behind this law proposal is as follows:

The Law on Lake Sevan needs an addition to the effect that building small HPPs will be prohibited at the Lake’s immediate impact zone.

But the Government approved this bill on the sole condition that this restriction will not include the already licensed small HPPs.  

To note, the aforesaid MPs have justified their proposal on the grounds that Lake Sevan trout’s two preserved subspecies lay their eggs in the rivers flowing into the Lake, and therefore it is extremely important to secure the water’s certain qualitative and quantitative conditions during that period.