Approximately 80 Percent of Servicing Rivers Have Decreased Water Flow, Suren Papikyan on Irrigation Water Issues

The acting Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Suren Papikyan, spoke about the decision to create an inter-agency commission focusing on the prevention of water scarcity in Armenia. In a conversation with Armenpress, Papikyan noted that although the beginning of the year was favorable, water scarcity issues emerged during the year.

"The water flow of rivers servicing various directions has decreased by about 80 percent. This has resulted in the existing water resources being largely consumed, and the energy issue has also been compounded. You know that this year, the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant has had the longest shutdown, and under these conditions, our energy capabilities are quite complicated. Various outages lead to pump failures and many crises, which we are trying to manage. The commission has been created to ensure access to water for people under the current drought conditions, as well as to correctly utilize our available resources," stated Papikyan.

He added that at this stage, the water issue affects not only irrigable areas but also regions that have not previously been irrigated, while the existing water resources cannot cater to both. "This is the reason why there are complaints, which are objective, but we must try to manage it with joint efforts," concluded Papikyan.

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has established an inter-agency commission for the purpose of coordinating measures for preventing possible drought or water scarcity in the Republic of Armenia and dealing with the consequences of drought or water scarcity, identifying potential problems, and enabling prompt responses, as well as formulating a strategy to enhance the effectiveness of the irrigation sector. Suren Papikyan has been appointed as the head of the inter-agency commission.