Level Of Lake Sevan Rises By 63 Centimeters Since Early 2007

LEVEL OF LAKE SEVAN RISES BY 63 CENTIMETERS SINCE EARLY 2007
Author: Arev Hakobian Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Since early 2007, the level of
Lake Sevan has risen by 63 cm and currently makes 1,898.86 meters.

The RA minister of environmental protection Aram Harutyunian said at
the September 28 press conference held in connection with 100 days
of his tenure that this year, water has been let out of Lake Sevan
since June and the water release from the lake amounted to 144.4 mln
cubic meters as of September 26. Out of 95 ha of forest areas covered
with water due to a rise in the lake’s level, 72 ha has been cleaned.

According to the minister, in 2007, state budget allocations for
increasing the number of endemic fish, including summer trout, grew
by 20 million drams (about 58 thousand dollars) to 29 million 995
thousand drams. This year 15,119 young fishes over 4 grams and 84
thousand newly-hatched ones have been released into the lake.

A. Harutyunian said that the environmental protection inspection of
the ministry conducted checks of 519 economic entities and revealed
492 violations. With the aim of eliminating these violations, 198
instructions were given, 347 acts on administrative fines of the total
amount of 22.2 bln drams and 118 protocols on damage done to nature
of the total amount of 49 mln drams were compiled. 29.2 mln drams
was transferred to the state budget as a result of imposing penalties.