Thursday, February 6, 2025
HomeIran News NowNews- Find what is going on In IranIran News: Water Shortages and Outages Plague Iranian Provinces Amid Promises of...

Iran News: Water Shortages and Outages Plague Iranian Provinces Amid Promises of Improvement

iran rudbar water shortage boy drinking tap (2)

As summer approaches, several Iranian provinces, including Tehran and Sistan and Baluchestan, are experiencing significant water shortages and outages despite earlier promises from government officials of improved water balance due to this year’s rainfall.

Hesam Khosravi, Deputy Director of Operations and Water Development at the Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company, attributed the disruptions to an unexpected heatwave. He explained that the water supply systems in Tehran were calibrated for cooler conditions and minimal surface water extraction.

The state-run Tejarat News reported on Tuesday, June 4, that water had been cut off in many parts of Tehran province, including Shahriar County, for over 24 hours, with no official explanation provided. This issue extends beyond Tehran, as other provinces have also reported water outages.

Aftab News, another state-run site, reported on water pressure drops and outages in various areas of Isfahan, leaving residents worried in the scorching June heat. The site admitted to mismanagement in securing water resources, particularly affecting central areas such as Parvin, Molavi, Meraj, Jomhouri Square, Foroughi, Kaveh, and Bahonar streets. The state-run broadcasting service (IRIB) also reported water cuts in Najafabad, in Isfahan Province.

In recent years, the water shortage and other shortcomings of basic life necessities have led to major protests on both provincial and nationwide levels. Due to the regime’s negligence and refusal to develop Iran’s agriculture, Iranian farms are still irrigated using inappropriate and outdated methods. As a result, more than 80% of the water resources consumed in the agricultural sector are lost, amounting to between 54 and 55 billion cubic meters per year.

One of the main reasons for Iran’s water crisis is the construction of unscientific dams by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and its front companies, primarily for military purposes. Before the 1979 revolution, there were only 30 dams across Iran. However, according to regime officials’ statistics, there are now more than 1,330 dams at various stages of operation, implementation, and study. Additionally, the IRGC has been responsible for digging deep wells. Before the revolution, there were only 36,000 wells in Iran, but official reports in 2015 indicated at least 794,000 wells across the country.

Many aspects of daily life, such as food production, power generation, manufacturing, and sanitation, depend on water. However, this vital resource is increasingly threatened globally, and Iran is no exception. The Iranian regime has failed to address the country’s water shortages for decades, causing social unrest that will only intensify if this problem persists.

Water stress, a severe water crisis where the supply of drinkable and unpolluted water is insufficient to meet demand, affects many regions in Iran. Despite adequate rainfall and natural water flows, poor water management has led to significant shortages. The Deputy Minister of Energy for Water and Water Supply and Wastewater Affairs reported that 300 out of 1,400 cities in the country are currently experiencing water stress. Additionally, the CEO of Iran Water and Wastewater highlighted that 272 cities face similar issues, and 10,000 villages rely on portable water supply tanks.