Iran – especially its capital, Tehran – is facing an unprecedented drought this autumn, with rainfall at record lows and reservoirs nearly empty. Officials are pleading with citizens to conserve water as the crisis deepens.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that if there is not enough rainfall soon, Tehran’s water supply could be rationed. But he said that even rationing might not be enough to prevent a disaster.
“If rationing doesn’t work,” Pezeshkian said, “we may have to evacuate Tehran.”
His comments have prompted criticism in Iranian newspapers and on social media. Former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi called the idea “a joke” and said “evacuating Tehran makes no sense at all”.
Iran’s meteorological officials say no rainfall is expected over the next 10 days.
Meanwhile, the water crisis is already affecting daily life in the capital.
“I’m planning to buy water tankers to use for toilets and other necessities,” a woman in Tehran told BBC Persian.
In the summer, Iranian rapper Vafa Ahmadpoor posted a video on social media showing a kitchen tap with no running water.
“It’s been four or five hours,” he said. “I’ve bought bottled water just to be able to go to the toilet.”
The manager of the Latian Dam, one of Tehran’s main water sources, says it now holds less than 10% of its capacity. The nearby Karaj Dam — which supplies water to both Tehran and Alborz provinces — is in a similarly dire condition.
“I have never seen this dam so empty since I was born,” an elderly local resident told Iranian state TV.
According to Mohammad-Ali Moallem, the manager of the Karaj Dam, rainfall has plummeted dramatically.
Credit: bbc.com
