This year, the blue-green algae occupies a large area in Sevan and the polluted area of the lake has greatly increased. Blue-green algae, especially the anabaena variety, are dangerous because they release the toxin microcystin. Isn’t it dangerous for swimmers, animals, and plants, if we take into account that water is taken from Sevan for irrigation purposes?
Victoria Burnazyan, the guest of Aravot’s “Aresum (Confrontation)” program, the vice-president of “Ecolur” information organization, said, “Indeed, it is poisonous and harmful to people’s health. When the lake bloomed in 2019, the Ministry of Health issued a statement about it, and mentioned that it is not allowed to swim in the blooming areas, because there will be irritation of the eyes, and there may be asthma or rashes on the skin, and if someone swallows the water, they might experience vomiting, fever, etc. However, this year we do not see any message from the ministry, while the same algae blooms in the lake, and society should be informed that it is not allowed to swim in bloomed areas.”
The other guest of the program, Tehmine Yenokyan, the president of Green Armenia NGO, recalled that when the Ministry of Health issued the warning, “the ministers tried to swim in that area and do tests on their skin as if it was safe. Then they realized that it’s not that safe… Over the years, we have seen only the following difference from state bodies: at least they don’t try to swim and prove the opposite. During the program, extensive reference was made to the steps that could save the lake from swamping and the reasons for Sevan’s prosperity. There are many different interests here,” said Tehmine Enokyan in particular, “Both business and oligarchic interests, which prevent the process of healing Sevan from the beginning.
After all, we know that if the water level of Sevan rises, tens of houses of oligarchs will be directly under water. They were found so unscrupulous that they built those houses right on the shore. And I think that’s the real problem, and many government officials who have to make decisions to implement a water intake or to ensure such an environment that Sevan cleans itself and the water level rises a little, also have similar fears of facing many different oligarchic interests.”
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According to experts, one of the factors contributing to the growth of blue-green algae is the entry of waste water into the lake from dozens of settlements and service and entertainment facilities operating in the coastal areas. Victoria Burnazyan mentioned, “There are 2,400 restaurants on the banks of Sevan, 300 of which are permanent. According to the data of 2020-21, only 17 of them had treatment plants.”
According to her, all the 28 rivers flowing into Sevan bring with them the household garbage and sewage of the villages. ”
Also, as a result of mining, polluted waters are poured into Lake Sevan.” By the way, referring to the additional water intake from Sevan, the vice president of Ecolur said, “We have always said that this is unacceptable. At first, we attributed it mainly to gaps for oligarchs’ private houses, but later we saw that there really is no irrigation water in the Ararat Valley… We send water from the sick Sevan to irrigate the Ararat valley, but the fish farms there used 760 million cubic million of water from the Ararat artesian basin in particular in 2021… If there is so much water in the Ararat valley, it can be directed to irrigation. Priorities should be set for us.”
Victoria Burnazyan mentioned that the lake cannot restore itself, when it rises, we lower it artificially. “We are playing a game with the level, which is very dangerous, and we consider Sevan just a reservoir, from which we should just use water for irrigation and energy purposes… What do we want to have: a lake, fresh water, or a reservoir or already a swamp?”
According to Tehmine Yenokyan, “The state body always announces that such and such a river is polluted, but we have not seen any step during these years that they would go and carry out a cleaning operation. When the problem is posed: who polluted, who is responsible for it, and who is responsible for cleaning and what is the cost, we will deal with at least a little responsible behavior.”
Anna ISRAELYAN
