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Iran to water aquifers artificially

Business Materials 3 March 2015 16:11 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 3

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Iranian Deputy Minister of Energy Sattar Mahmoudi said that the ministry is planning to artificially water aquifers across the country in a bid to revive water reserves and make up for the shortage of groundwater caused by frequent, long droughts, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported March 3.

Around 60 percent of the water used across the country is provided from underground reserves, Mahmoudi said, noting the ministry's plans to protect the resources.

Illegal extraction of groundwater across the country has precipitated the process whereby the water reserves have become exceedingly scarce.

Mahmoudi stated that similar projects have been carried out in the country in the past, adding that the ministry plans to enhance the intensity of the operations, with concentration around areas whose groundwater reserves are in critical situations.

Future watering operations will entail more studies before they are carried.

Iran's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian met with Russia 's natural resources and environment minister in Tehran Feb. 22 and discussed the ways to explore deep underground water resources in Iran.

"At present, 96 billion cubic meters of the country's total 120 billion cubic meters of renewable water resources are being consumed annually," he said, adding that if 40-60 percent of renewable water resources are consumed in any country, that country is said to be in a critical condition.

Khodakaram Jalali, director of Iran Forests, Ranges, and Watershed Management Organization said Feb. 15 that Iran would restore 50 billion cubic meters of water resources annually through watershed management.

Water consumption in Iran is nearly twice that of indices announced by the Food and Agriculture Organization, Jalali said Feb. 14.

Edited by CN

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