Iran’s largest river in central province “dried up”
Published: Monday, June 30, 2008
11:58GMT—7:58PM/EST
IRAN – RIVER – DROUGHT
Washington, 30 June (IranVNC)—The only water source for Iran’s central plateau has dried up due to a drought in the past year, according to reports from Iran.
Esfahan’s Zayandeh-Rud provides water for the irrigation of dozens of fields in the region and drinking water for 15 cities and more than 4 million people.
The conservative Jam-e Jam Newspaper on Sunday published an illustrated report on the river, in which it quoted a state official as saying that Iran’s recent droughts, coupled with high levels of pollution, have caused a decrease in the river’s water to 1,000 cubic meters.
But Esfahan is not the only Iranian province facing a drought. Earlier this year, a Deputy Energy Minister said that Iran this year was facing “the worst drought in 40 years” and that rain levels were 44 percent below average.
And over the weekend, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Reza Eskandari, said some 30 of Iran’s provinces are facing various levels of drought, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported Saturday.
The government plans to extend loan repayments, and has directed banks to facilitate loans for farmers in an effort to alleviate some of the hardships caused by the drought, Eskandari said.
The Esfahan Province’s Environmental Protection Board has also alerted the inhabitants about polluted water and the Esfahan City Council has called on people to save water.
He added that funds had been allocated for investment in “high-pressure irrigation” systems and that proposals for “implementing wetland projects” have been submitted to the Majlis [parliament].
Zayandeh River is central Iran’s largest river. Its source is in the mountains of Iran’s Chahar Mahal-va-Bakhtiari Province and stretches 400 kilometers to the Gav Khouni marshlands.
Source: Jam-e Jam Newspaper, ISNA
© IranVNC 2008. All rights reserved.