BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
As many as 54 water and electricity facilities have been commissioned in Iran with an investment of 160 trillion rials (about $3.8 billion) since the beginning of current Iranian year (March 20, 2020), Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said, Trend reports citing the ministry.
He made the remark at an event dedicated to the commissioning of irrigation lines to supply water to 23,000 hectares of agricultural land in Iran's Ilam and Kermanshah provinces and held via a videoconference on Aug.13.
The minister noted that more than 196 facilities will be commissioned by the end of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2021) with an investment of 340 trillion rials (about $8.09 billion).
Ardakanian added that Iran's 12 border provinces have 48 river borders with other countries, and 40 rivers start from inside the country.
The minister said that there are bilateral and international contracts on the use of all these rivers.
According to him, with the provision of irrigation lines in 23,000 hectares of agricultural land in Iran's Kermanshah and Ilam provinces, agricultural production in these provinces will quadruple.
Ardakanian emphasized that the area of large steppes in Kermanshah and Ilam provinces is 35,000 hectares, and all these areas will be provided with irrigation lines by the end of the current Iranian year.
In total, 17.7 trillion rials (about $422 million) has been invested to these irrigation lines. The production of grain, corn and vegetables in Iran's Kermanshah and Ilam provinces will increase by 90,000 tons worth 1.25 trillion rials (about $29.7 million) a year with the commissioning of these irrigation lines.