Iranian president takes part in laying foundation of canal from Caspian Sea

Azerbaijan, Baku, April 16 / Trend, T.Jafarov /

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in the Mazandaran Province this morning, which will host the foundation laying ceremony of a major project on irrigation of the country's arid areas by the Caspian Sea water. To this end, it is planned to construct a canal from the Caspian Sea to the provinces of Simnan, Yazd, Kerman, the Fars agency reported.

The project envisages directing 500 million cubic meters of seawater to the central cities of these provinces. This will require funds worth $10 billion. It is planned to construct a plant for seawater desalination with capacity of 200 million cubic meters in the first phase. Later, a water supply system will be built to deliver desalinated water to the provinces of Simnan, Qom and Isfahan.

Within the project it is also planned to build hydropower plants, pumping stations, electricity transmission lines and reservoirs.

Revolutionary Guard Corps' Construction Subdivision Khatam al-Anbia is in charge of implementation of this project.