Prevention of construction of gold-processing enterprise at Lake Sevan is of national importance

PanARMENIAN.Net - On the threshold of the International Nature Protection Day on June 5, S.O.S. Sevan public movement presented outcomes of their struggle for preserving the integrity of the Sevan's basin ecosystem.



A year before an initiating group of several NGOs carried out several campaigns. Non- governmental organizations raised their vices against the construction of a gold processing enterprise near lake Sevan, which can run to ecocatastrophe.



According to the RA Law on lake Sevan, any construction of ore-dressing and processing enterprises in the area of Sevan basin is forbidden. Nevertheless, the owner of gold mines in the Ararat valley and Zod village, the GeoProMining company has decided to receive permission and achieve the revision of the law to construct the gold-processing enterprise in Zod, located along the Sevan shore.



3 organizations under the auspices of the RA National Academy of Sciences prepared a document about the possible environmental impact of the gold processing plant and submitted it to GeoProMining. According to Inga Zarafyan, head of the "S.O.S. Sevan" and "EcoLur", GeoProMining head Dima Kalandadze threatened to refuse from the Zod's mines if the project fails.



"In countries like Armenia ore mining and processing are very quick processes, leaving thousands of hectares of deserted lands and plenty contaminated and polluted waters", Inga Zarafyan told reporters.



The Lake Sevan is a unique ecosystem reserving a 33 billion cubic meters of sweet water. According to Inga Zarafyan, the danger of contaminating the lake will become real if the GeoProMining would realize its project.