The government has earmarked $33.5 million to accelerate the completion of two long-delayed dams in Borujerd County, Lorestan Province, the county’s lawmaker said.
Construction of Absardeh and Shahid Borujerdi dams have hit a wall in the past several years due to financial constraints but is expected to be resolved soon.
“With renewed efforts to fund construction of the two dams, work will resume soon,” Fatemeh Maghsoudi was quoted as saying by IRNA.
“Delays in completing the two structures will add to problems and shortages of water for both drinking and agriculture,” she added.
Work on Absardeh Dam started in 2009 to supply water to 8,400 hectares of farmlands in the region, she said. “But the project so far has made 40% progress.”
With a capacity to hold 60 million cubic meters of water, Absardeh is one of the major projects in Lorestan, which in addition to providing sustainable drinking water in Borujerd can play an effective role in increasing agricultural production, economic growth create jobs.
Shahid Borujerdi Dam, with a capacity of about 20 mcm, is being built in the north of Borujerd City to augment the dwindling supply of potable and industrial water. Construction of the dam started 8 years ago but it has made 10% progress due to lack of funds. When the projects resume it could be completed in four years.
More than 70% of drinking water in Borujerd comes from groundwater resources that have been drying up. There are 1,900 deep and semi-deep wells in Borujerd used for drinking as well as for industrial and farming needs.
“It is obvious that groundwater resources are not sustainable and building dams is crucial,” the managing director of Borujerd Water and Wastewater Company said.
Borujerd’s population is 327,000 and it approximately needs 50 million cubic meters of water a year, Habibollah Haddadi said.
“If construction process of the two dams is delayed further, meeting drinking water needs of the city will become a big challenge”, he warned.
The people and farmers in Borujerd, like in most other dry regions, have suffered from water shortages for years that have hurt its farming potential. The two dams can and will help farmers transform 25% of dry lands into farmlands, Haddadi noted.
With 69,000 hectares of farmlands, Borujerd annually produces about one million tons of agricultural products, including apples, walnuts, almonds, peaches, grapes, cherries, sour cherry, wheat, barley, and canola.
