YEREVAN. – World Bank will allocate $30 million for the irrigation enhancement project in Armenia, representative of the state water committee said.

It is the fourth WB project in the irrigation field, Adibek Ghazaryan said during a media conference on Tuesday. The government will finance 25 percent of the project (7.5 million).

The major investment will be aimed at lowering the operating cost of water by converting pump-based irrigation to gravity irrigation in four systems. The proposed ISEP will finance the construction of gravity irrigation systems in the Meghri, Gegardalich, Baghramyan-Norakert and Kaghtsrashen.

Ghazaryan noted that over five years energy use of irrigation system fell from 240-250 kw/h to 150-160. Thanks to this project, farmers of mountainous areas will take water from mountain streams instead of pumping from the lowlands.