Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran's dam reservoir input has reached 30.87 billion cubic meters during the current crop year which began on September 22, 2013, indicating a 7 percent decline compared to same period of the last year.
Dam reservoir output from the beginning of the current crop year stood at 26.55 billion cubic meters, 9 percent less in comparison with 29.14 billion cubic meters of output in the same period of preceding year, Iran's IRIB news agency reported on Aug. 15.
The total volume of water in the country's dam reservoirs currently stands at 23.21 billion cubic meters which is 5.4 percent more compared to same period of last year.
For the time being the total water capacity in the dam reservoirs is about 47.4 billion cubic meters.
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.
Hamidreza Janbaz, an Advisor to Iranian energy minister, said that currently 517 cities are struggling with water shortage across the country.
"A drought has been observed in the country for nearly 13 years," Janbaz added.
Earlier Iranian media outlets quoted energy minister, Hamid Reza Chitchian as saying that the situation of water resources in Iran has passed beyond the critical condition.