Купание в Озере Байкал, Мониторы окружающей среды

Lake Baikal Waters Plunge, Environment Monitors Warn

MOSCOW (MN) - Baikal’s water reserves have decreased by 38 percent since last year, Russian environmental authorities said, noting that water levels in the world’s largest fresh-water lake could be critical by spring, the Izvestia daily reports.

Critical water levels may force local authorities to issue a ban on using the lake as a water reservoir in the adjacent south Siberian Irkutsk Region and Buryatia Republic.

“Snow precipitation totaled 48 mm, which is 69 percent of the norm, the newspaper quoted specialists in the Natural Resources Ministry as saying this week. “As of Feb 26, the water level in Baikal is 451.21 m. based on the Pacific measuring system. Since the beginning of February it has decreased by six centimeters.”[pic 1]

Water levels have been plunging throughout January, and while some fluctuation can be normal, consistent decreases can endanger this unique body of water. “Periodically water levels in Baikal fall to 456.15-456.2 meters,” officials in the ministry explained. “But the current drop is sudden and has been continuing since October. This means that by March-April the water levels can become critical and fall below the dangerous threshold of 456 meters.”

Earlier the head of environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, Oleg Mitvol, had said that if water levels in the Baikal reach the critical threshold of 456, a ban on using the lake to provide drinking water will have to be issued.

An administrative investigation is already underway, launched by Mitvol in January. Mitvol had blamed a regional energy company, Irkutskenergo, for taking advantage of the lake’s unusually abundant waters in the fall of 2006 and using a large amount of water to power its hydro-electric plant. But Irkutskenergo has insisted it was acting in accordance with regulations issues by local water authorities.

Last week, the Federal Agency for Water Resources downplayed the alarm over Lake Baikal. “I can say that there will be no critical situations this year,” agency head Rustem Hamitov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying. In fact, he said that the hydro-electric plant can actually help regulate water levels in the lake. "When there were no dams, there was lamer fluctuation," Hamitov was; quoted as saying. "But now, in over the last 40 years since the Irkutsk plant was built, the water level has been artificially regulated ”

Купание в Озере Байкал, Мониторы окружающей среды предупреждают

МОСКВА (MN) - Запасы воды в Байкале снизились на 38 процентов с прошлого года, сказали российские природоохранные ведомства, отметив, что уровень воды в крупнейшем в мире пресноводном озере может быть очень критичным  к весне, пишет газета «Известия».

Критические уровни воды могут заставить местные власти ввести запрет на использование озера в качестве водохранилища в прилегающей Южно-Сибирской Иркутской области и Республике Бурятия.

«Снежные осадки составляли 48 мм, что составляет 69 процентов от нормы, - цитирует газета на этой неделе специалисты Министерства природных ресурсов. «По состоянию на 26 февраля уровень воды в Байкале составляет 451,21 м. на основе тихоокеанской измерительной системы. С начала февраля он уменьшился на шесть сантиметров ».