Ministry of Environment Rejects Lydian Armenia's Request for Increased Water Extraction from Arpa River

The Ministry of Environment has rejected Lydian Armenia's request for a larger water extraction permit from the lower streams of the Arpa River for the exploitation of the Amulsar gold mine. Artem Mkrtchyan, acting head of the licensing, permits, and agreements department at the Ministry, shared this information in an interview with Armenpress.

He noted that in 2020, the company was granted a water extraction permit for 11 liters per second from the Arpa River's lower streams, but they have now applied for a permit for 41.3 liters per second.

The company requested an authorization to extract an additional 30 liters per second from the lower streams of the Arpa River. The rejection was based on the government's decision on the "Management Plan for the Ararat Basin for 2016-2021 and Priority Actions for Effective Management." The plan stipulates that the volume of water extraction for industrial purposes will see very little change, and it is not permitted to allow such an increase," said Mkrtchyan.

Previously, Lydian Armenia had submitted applications for increased water extraction from the Darb River and the upper streams of the Arpa River, both of which were denied. The company is currently contesting the ministry's refusal to grant water extraction from the Darb River in the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia.