The adoption of the drafts will prevent the illegal use of water from underground water resources, for this purpose drilling or reopening of liquidated or conserved boreholes, water intake in violation of the conditions given by the water use permit, as well as illegal hunting or illegal extraction of whitefish from Lake Sevan. The RA Deputy Minister of Environment Tigran Gabrielyan said this at the regular sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Protection in the first reading on January 31, presenting the legislative package on Making Addenda and Amendments to the RA Water Code, on Making Addenda and Amendments to the RA Code on Administrative Offenses and on Making Addenda to the RA Criminal Code for debate.
The draft law on Making Addenda and Amendments to the RA Water Code was introduced. A prohibition was planned for the re-opening of liquidated boreholes, also for the conserved boreholes without a water use permit.
The draft law on Making Addenda and Amendments to the Code on Administrative Offenses was also presented. Among the current articles of liability, the cases intended for whitefish were separated and stricter measures of liability were established for them.
Read also
The draft law on Making Addenda to the RA Criminal Code provides for criminal liability for reopening liquidated boreholes or for using water from underground water resources without a water use permit or for reopening conserved boreholes without a water use permit, if it caused large-scale property or other significant damage to the rights, freedoms or legal interests of a person or an organization.
For illegal hunting of whitefish, the amount exceeding 150.000 AMD was considered a large amount of damage.
The MPs highlighted the fight against illegal water use and fish theft, introduced some proposals. The large-scale water intake from Lake Sevan last year was also considered worrisome. It was considered necessary to carry out works to raise the level of Sevan, as well as to prevent water loss.
It was proposed to discuss the legislative package with the concerned organizations and persons.
The Committee endorsed the legislative package.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
