The project to build Astara Rubber Dam in Astara County, Gilan Province, has registered 53% physical progress while its construction started four years ago and was supposed to be completed in 18 months.
Financial constraints have been announced by provincial officials as the reason for the delay in the project that was to cost about $1 million, but only half of which has been allocated so far, IRNA reported.
With a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters of water, the dam aims to supply water to 200 hectares of farmlands as well as drinking water to 15 villages in the northern county.
Inflatable rubber dams use cylindrical rubber fabrics that are placed across channels, streams and rivers to raise the upstream water level when inflated. The fabric is flexible and yet exhibits good wear-resistance characteristics.
Rubber dams were developed in the early 1950s and are installed on streams and riverbeds with a concrete foundation. They are one of the most useful and inexpensive ways of containing surface water.
Enabling fish passage past diversion works, water retention for aquifer recharge and protecting low-lying coastal areas from tidal flooding are other benefits of such dams.
The main advantage of rubber dams is that it prevents sediment accumulation. This is a big plus as it removes the need for dredging, which is costly and sometimes harmful for the environment.
The lifespan of these structures is usually 25 to 30 years, after which the dams can be reused by replacing the rubber.
In addition to Astara Rubber Dam, the construction of six such dams are underway in Gilan and they have made 10-70% progress.
Despite the fact that Gilan gets some of the heaviest rainfall among Iran’s 31 provinces, significant volumes of surface water are lost due to a lack of enough reservoirs.
Due to its moderate climate, Gilan is rich in agriculture and animal husbandry. Over half of its farmlands are under rice cultivation and the region is one of the major rice production hubs of Iran.
Other well-known Gilan products include tea, citrus fruits, hazelnut, peanut, potatoes, pumpkins, olives, silk cocoon and caviar. Annually, 2.5 million tons of crops are produced in the province.
