Iran grapples with ‘serious’ water crisis, says President

Tehran: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has cautioned that several regions, including the capital Tehran, are confronting a “serious” water crisis.

The president made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian media directors in Tehran on Sunday, outlining measures his administration is undertaking to address the issue, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Pezeshkian said round-the-clock efforts were underway to transfer water from the nearby Taleqan Dam to Tehran in an attempt to secure adequate water supplies for the province during the autumn. However, he noted it was uncertain whether the move would be effective, given that precipitation in the province had dropped by 45 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to state-run IRIB news agency, Iran’s dams are currently holding only 42 per cent of their total capacity.

The report stated that since the beginning of the current water year, which commenced on September 22, 2024, only 23.56 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water had entered the country’s dams. This marks a 42 per cent drop compared to the same period last year, when inflow reached 40.55 bcm.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on Saturday, Mohammad-Taqi Hosseinzaden, CEO of Tehran Water and Wastewater Company’s District 5, said that water reserves in Tehran’s dams would be sufficient only until late September. He urged citizens to manage their water usage.

Iran Water Resources Management has attributed the shortages mainly to an “unprecedented” drought that has gripped the country since the start of the current water year.

As part of emergency measures, authorities have implemented office closures and reduced working hours in affected cities to conserve water.

IANS