Low precipitation in Sistan-Baluchestan Province in the last eight months is posing new challenges to agribusiness in the dry region, a lawmaker from Zabol said.
“Rain fed agriculture is out of question as average rainfall in the region since the beginning of the current water year (Sept 23, 2019) until May 4 was barely 60 millimeters.
Moreover, irrigated farming is impossible because Afghanistan has blocked the flow of water from Hirmand (Helmand) River,” ILNA quoted Habibollah Dahmardeh as saying.
The river can hold a maximum of 10 billion cubic meters of water, but it now has only 1 bcm, depriving farmers from cultivating barley and wheat, two major crops in the region, he said.
“With the (limited) access to water, farmers can only plant leafy greens (lettuce), cruciferous vegetables (cabbage) and edible plant stems (asparagus). Regarding other foods, all depends on precipitation in August and September.”
Referring to Helmand River, the longest watercourse in Afghanistan, the MP said when dams on the river overflow after heavy rains in the neighboring country, the surplus pours into Iran.
As per am agreement signed in 1973 in Kabul, Iran's share from the river is 22 cubic meters per second. However, dams on Hirmand built by the Afghan government have significantly reduced the volume of water entering into Iran’s border province, causing serious economic hardships for farmers.
Prior to the construction of dams, nine billion cubic meters of water flowed into the Hamoun wetlands in Sistan-Baluchestan per annum. Now that has declined to less than 820 million cubic meters a year, Energy Ministry data show.
By extension, the outcome has been that people in the southeastern dry regions are grappling with water and food shortages because their livelihood for centuries has depended on farming and animal husbandry.
With long and severe water shortages, large numbers have lost their jobs and are migrating to the bigger cities, causing a variety of problems for state authorities and urban managers.
A deal signed in 1973 in Kabul put Iran's share from Hirmand River at 22 cubic meters per second. Nevertheless, dams built by the Afghan government on the river significantly reduced the volume of water entering Iranian territory causing serious economic hardships for local farmers
Hamoun wetlands are considered a vital resource for the local population including those living in the provincial capital, Zahedan.
“Problems persist in the farming sector, but there is no major concern about drinking water in summer as Chah Nimeh reservoirs are full and weather forecasts have predicted rain in Afghanistan, meaning more water will flow in Hirmand River” the lawmaker was quoted as saying.
Fifty kilometers off Zabol, Hirmand’s surplus water flows into the reservoirs via a canal. The reservoirs, with a capacity of 700 million cubic meters, can roughly store one-seventh of the capacity of Hamoun Wetland. However, 355 million cubic meters evaporate from Chah Nimeh.
Three Options
Deep-sea explorations, reducing evaporation and transferring (desalination) water from the Oman Sea to Sistan-Baluchestan are three major policies to help address the worsening water crisis in the southeast.
Following deep-sea explorations in 2018, a water reservoir was found at a depth of 2,200 meters below the surface in a well in the province. Being an artesian well, water flows out without pumping, the MP added, but did not provide details on how and where the water is stored.
Another solution to curb the water crisis is to reduce evaporation. “Annually, the amount of that is wasted due to evaporation from Chah-Nimeh reservoirs amounts to the consumption of water in the province over ten years”.
The option of transferring water from the Sea of Oman has been controversial and always open to question
Although experts insist water transfer schemes to be environmentally hazardous, taking out water from the Oman Sea is the last resort.
New surveys show that the province will face a serious water crisis by 2022 if timely and effective solutions are not found.
An estimated 1,260 villages in the province lack piped water. Close to 251,000 rural people are supplied drinking water via tankers, at times posing health risks.
