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Tehran water consumption rises by 3 percent amid water shortage crisis

Politics Materials 16 July 2014 14:46 (UTC +04:00)
The water consumption of Iranian capital, Tehran, has increased by 3 percent in the past three months.
Tehran water consumption rises by 3 percent amid water shortage crisis

Tehran, Iran, Jul. 16

By Milad Fashtami - Trend:

The water consumption of Iranian capital, Tehran, has increased by 3 percent in the past three months.

Tehran governor, Hossein Hashemi, said on July 16 that if the residents of the province cut their consumption by 20 percent, there would be no water rationing in summer, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.

"If we pass this summer without any water rationing, we still need to do something fundamental about the water shortage in the country," he added.

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said on July 3 that the country doesn't plan to ration drinking water in summer and any cut in water flow would be related to maintenance, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported.

It is while previous reports suggested that the country's energy ministry has started rationing water.

Arak, Esfahan, Bandar Abbas, Tehran, Shiraz, Qazvin, Qom, Karaj, Kerman, Mash'had, Hamedan, and Yazd are the major cities which are expected to face severe water shortage in summer.

Iran has already started water rationing in Karaj city, Iran's TASNIM News Agency reported on June 25.

Energy ministry officials say that by cutting consumption by 20-30 percent, the country will face no difficulty in distributing enough water across the country.

Iran's rationing water in Karaj comes as the country's President Hasan Rouhani previously ordered the energy ministry to avoid water rationing.

Hamidreza Janbaz, an Advisor to Iranian energy minister, said that currently 517 cities are struggling with water shortage across the country, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported on June 23.

Janbasz, however, said that the energy ministry will face no difficulty in providing enough water to the country.

On February 19, Donya-ye Eqtesad daily quoted Chitchian as saying that the situation of water resources in Iran has passed beyond the critical condition.

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

Iran is located in an arid zone and the country has repeatedly faced with drought in the past 40 years.
The drought of 1992-2002 caused a major blow to agriculture. There were quotas imposed for fresh water in several cities including Tehran.

Iran's drinking water consumption rate is expected to reach 10 billion cubic meters in the Iranian calendar year of 1420 (to start on March 21, 2041).

Iran will face difficulty in providing the mentioned amount of drinking water, unless it improves its infrastructure. The country's water consumption rate currently stands at 6 billion cubic meters.

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