YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan held a consultation on January 20 in the Government regarding the issues of the groundwater resources usage of the Ararat plain, the Government’s Press Service told ARMENPRESS.

During the January 15 Cabinet meeting Karapetyan tasked the minister of nature protection to study the present data on business entities operating without water usage permits in Armenia, as well as make proposals in terms of ruling out illegal water usage.

Artsvik Minasyan, minister of nature protection, briefed the Prime Minister that monitoring activities revealed 574 business entities operating without water usage permits.

The PM was briefed on the situation in terms of actual usage of groundwater in Ararat plain, evaluation of impact, the situation in terms of nature protection, permits and activities of fish farms and industries.

Proposals on sustainable management of water resources have been made, which are namely related to introduction of energy saving and water saving technologies in the water usage system, taking legislative, institutional and field actions, excluding the provision of new permits of wells, shutdown of abandoned wells and introduction of a control system.

Prime Minister Karapetyan said it is necessary to take serious actions aimed at improving the dangerous situation in terms of nature protection and efficient usage of water resources. The PM tasked the formation of a working group which will include representatives of stakeholder agencies.

“From now on everyone must strictly fulfill their functions”, the PM said in conclusion.