President Issues Executive Order To Revive Orumiyeh Lake

Tehran, June 30, IRNA – President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday issued executive order to revive Orumiyeh Lake with conducting complementary studies in parallel with operations in a bid to expedite the project and lessen any possible negative consequences. The President forwarded the executive order to the working group involved in the research studies to revive Orumiyeh Lake. He appreciated a report on the expert studies regarding the endangered lake and added that the government is responsible to help survival of the lake. Rouhani voiced the governmentˈs readiness to provide necessary expenses for revival of the water basin. According to the government, saving Orumiyeh Lake is a standard for concurrent revival of other wetlands in the country which facing problems, he said. Referring to different views about transfer of the Caspian Sea water to Orumiyeh Lake, the president said that while implementing a national project, all aspects and scientific capacities of the country should be taken into account. Undertaking an project to transfer running waters and optimizing water consumption are contingent upon identifying their social and economic impacts, he said, the Interior Ministry and governors general of Orumiyeh Lake provinces to present a written report on the necessities of the projects put forward by the Orumiyeh Lake Rescue working group. Government is duty-bound to pave the way for better life for the nation by preserving the environment, Rouhani said, noting that if the lake continues to dry up, it create detrimental effects for the country and the entire region. Implementation of projects to protect ecology such as cultivating environment-friendly plants, accelerating transfer of Aras water, pathology of impacts of Orumiyeh drying up on economic and social areas and exploring ways for countering them, feasibility studies for using modern technologies and establishing industrial units with the aim of providing replacement for agriculture were the topics to remedy the situation of Orumiyeh lake./end