YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Environment has refused to grant Lydian Armenia a permit for using more water from Arpa River’s lower currents for the exploitation of Amulsar – the gold mine currently halted pending the government’s decision whether or not to allow it’s resumption due to environmental concerns.

The head of the ministry’s department in charge of issuing permits, Artyom Mkhitaryan, told ARMENPRESS that in 2020 the company received a permit for using water in volumes of 11 l/s from the Arpa River’s lower channels, and now the company requested to have a permit for 41,3 l/s.

Mkhitaryan said they rejected the request based on the 2016-2020 government decision regulating the Ararat basin territory.  Mkhitaryan said it doesn’t envisage allowing the use of such volumes.

Lydian Armenia had earlier applied to the authorities to get permission for using more water from Arpa River’s Darp streamlet and the Arpa River’s upper channels, but was rejected in both cases.

Lydian Armenia is now disputing the ministry’s decision concerning the Darp streamlet at the administrative court.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan