Construction of two dams, Javeh and Azad, is underway in western Kurdistan Province and $90 million has already been spent on the two projects but work is slow due to funding constraints, managing director of Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company said.
“Javeh Dam is located 40 km southwest of the capital city, Sanandaj, in eastern part of Kurdistan. When completed, it can hold 350 million cubic meters of water, which will be used for agricultural and industrial purposes,” Seyed Hassan Razavi was quoted as saying by IRNA.
“With $30 million spent so far the project has made 72% progress and needs $25 million to be completed,” he added.
One of the main problems in the construction of the dam is the flow of sewage from 80 villages in Sanandaj to the Gave-Rood River that will enter the dam. Since Sanandaj Wastewater Treatment Plant cannot fully treat the sewage, another treatment unit should be built near Javeh Dam.
“Sanandaj Wastewater Treatment Plant can treat 45% of the sewage and the remaining polluted water of Gave-Rood River needs to be treated.”
With a capacity of 300 mcm, Azad Dam is being built on the Gura River 75 km from Sanandaj-Marivan Road. The goal is to transfer water to irrigate the Qorveh and Dehgolan plains, supply drinking water to Sanandaj and build a 10 megawatt hydroelectric power plant, Razavi said.
“About $60 million has been spent on the project that has made 87% progress. It requires $10 million more,” he noted.
A 87 km canal connecting the dam with Qorveh and Dehgolan towns will supply water for agricultural purposes to these towns. As water tables of the towns have gone down by over 18 meters due to the excessive use for crops, the dam will help conserve the groundwater.
Kurdistan is a mountainous region and home to many rivers, lakes, glaciers and caves.
With total area of 29,000 square kilometers, it has 17 permanent and 24 seasonal rivers.
Zarrineh River, 302 km long, is one of the longest rivers. It flows north and pours into Lake Urmia, located between the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan, north of Kurdistan.
Sirvan River is another river and runs a long distance eventually joining the Tigris in Iraq. Simineh River is also an important river and an ideal habitat for marine species and birds.
Lake Zarivar is a waterway at the foot of high mountains. Its water is sparkling and fresh. Lake Vahdat Dam, to the north of Sanandaj, provides excellent opportuny for fishing.
Kurdistan Province benefits from many resourceful mineral water springs. The most notable are Govaz to the northwest of Kamyaran, Abetalkh close to Bijar and Baba Gorgor to the north of Qorveh.
Kurdistan’s population is 1.6 million and the people are mostly involved in agriculture and livestock farming. Wheat, barley, grains and fruits are the major products.
Industrial activities in the province include chemical, metal, textile, leather and food industries.
