The Zayanderud River has dried up in Isfahan Province. “To understand the reasons, we must look outside Charmahal-Bakhtiyari Province,” said head of the provincial water conservation organization.
Even though the river originates in Charmahal-Bakhtiyari, the Zayanderud dam is situated in and managed by the concerned officials in Isfahan Province.
“The river flows from Charmahal-Bakhtiyari towards Isfahan, and the fact that the water stops short of 50 km outside Isfahan, is proof that the problem lies within Isfahan, claimed Hojat Al-Islam Amir Gholi Jafari, quoted by IRNA.
A mere 7% of the water from Zayanderud is consumed by Charmahal-Bakhtiyari, he explained and said the remaining 93% of the water resources are under Isfahan’s jurisdiction. He suggested that indiscriminate water allocation for commercial purposes and the increasing development of industry in Isfahan “should be placed under scrutiny.”
Charmahal-Bakhtiyari has been cooperating with Isfahan by providing pertinent information with regards to water transfer projects, said Jafari.
Unfortunately, “some individuals in Isfahan have been consistently misinforming the public and have inflamed the Charmahal-Bakhtiyari authorities in the energy ministry by seeking water transfer projects licenses illegally, while the voices of Charmahal-Bakhtiyari farmers are not being heard,” he maintained.
