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At March 13 sitting, the RA NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment debated in the second reading the revised package of the draft laws on Making Addenda and Amendments to the RA Water Code, on Making Addenda and Amendments to the RA Code on Administrative Offences and on Making Addenda to the RA Criminal Code, which presented the RA Deputy Minister of Environment Protection Tigran Gabrielyan.

It is expected that by the adoption of the drafts the illegal water use from the groundwater resources will be prevented, and for that purpose - the reopening of drilling or dissolved or conserved boreholes, the implementation of the water intake by the breach of the conditions given by the permission of the water use. Differentiated administrative and criminal accountability for illegal water use cases from surface and groundwater resources will be applied to maintain at best the groundwater resources. The revised package of the draft laws will promote the improvement of the ecological balance state of Lake Sevan, maintenance of the biological diversity of the lake and its water collection basin eco systems and the improvement of the stable use of the biological reserves, the maintenance of the whitefish stable mass and the implementation of the industrial fishing. In particular, the sum of money exceeding 150.000 AMD was considered a big amount of damage for illegal fishing or harvesting of whitefish.

During the exchange of ideas, the Committee members expressed concern in connection with water losses, presented proposals aimed at the protection of water resources.

The Committee endorsed the legislative package.