The second phase of a major pipeline project to supply water from Karoun River to rural districts in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, has progressed by 53%, the director of National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company of Iran (Abfa) said.
“As soon as the plan is completed, the current capacity of the pipeline at 17,000 cubic meters of potable water [per day] will double and 52% of the province’s population will have long-term access to sustainable water,” Atabak Jafari was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Visiting pumping stations in Andimeshk County, Jafari noted that the resolution of water and wastewater issues in Khuzestan tops Abfa’s agenda.
The first phase of the initiative became operational in 2020 and a 100-kilometer pipeline carries potable water (per day) from Sheyban water treatment facilities in central Bavi County to 30 rural areas in Gheyzaniyeh, including Sofeyreh.
Before the pipeline, 16,000 people suffered from chronic water shortages for three years, as less than 4,000 cubic meters of water were pumped to Gheyzaniyeh district every day.
Years of shortages pushed the locals over the edge and a group of angry residents demanded clean water and warned those in charge of the rapidly worsening disaster.
Referring to the second phase of the scheme, he said another pipeline is being extended from Sofeyreh Village to 110 rural districts in Gheyzaniyeh, including Nezeheh.
Gheyzaniyeh is the biggest of the three districts in Ahvaz and is crisscrossed by main roads from Ahvaz to Mahshahr, Ramshir and Ramhormoz.
It is close to Karoun River, one of the biggest in Iran and the only navigable waterway in the country.
For years, the area has been lacking drinking water. Local residents in Gheyzaniyeh say there are at least 300 oil wells in the region, but the people have been suffering from water shortage for years.
Despite the health hazards, an estimated 400,000 liters of water are supplied by tankers daily to residents.
Homes at the far end of Gheyzaniyeh have no running water and people spend several hours in long lines to get water from tankers.
According to provincial authorities, around 700 small towns and villages in the oil-rich region have difficulty getting water, especially in summer when people are forced to remain indoors as the mercury hovers around 55 degrees Celsius.
