Inga Zarafyan: Mining affects rivers (video)
Mining industry also has a negative impact on rivers, Chairperson of the Ecolur NGO Inga Zarafyan said on the threshold of the World Water Day. She says because of mining of about 1,607,000 cum industrial wastewater is dumped annually into the water resources of Meghri and Kartchevan river basins. The same situation is observed in the Akhtala River. “Akhtala has turned into a waste pipe that carries and dumps the waste into the Debed,” she said. The recent monitoring of the Ministry of Environment revealed that 5 percent of rivers are in ‘a non-sufficient’ state. 42 percent are in a normal condition. In his turn, Mher Mkrtumyan, Chief of Staff of State Committee of Water Economy of the Ministry of Agriculture, said wastewater treatment plants have been constructed in Gavar, Martuni and Vardenis. Also, Marmarik reservoir was officially put into operation in 2014 which allows regulating river flows and using water for irrigation purposes.
