Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.27
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iranian energy minister Hamid Chitchian warned about water shortage crisis in the country.
The energy ministry has formed a special committee a couple of months ago in order to monitor the water crisis and take appropriate decisions, Iran's Mehr news agency quoted Chitchian as saying on April 27.
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.
During the past decade, precipitations have declined to 242 millimetres from 250 millimetres, he noted.
The water shortage has reached a critical level in Tabriz, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Qum, Mashhad and Hamadan provinces, advisor to Iran's Energy Minister, Hamidrza Janbaz said on Nov.17, MEHR agency reported.
Currently a special programme is being worked out in order to solve the water shortage problem in the next three years, according to Janbaz.
"A drought has being observed in the country for nearly 13 years. The demand for water increases with population growth," Janbaz said.
Iran is located in an arid zone and the country has been 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.