The project to supply piped water to 67,000 people in 169 villages of Kurdestan Province is expected to be completed in 30 months, managing director of Kurdestan Water and Wastewater Company said.
“Having registered 10% progress so far, the project is estimated to cost about $18 million,” the Energy Ministry’s news portal Paven also quoted Mohammad Farhad as saying.
Currently, the entire urban population of Kurdestan and over 80% of its rural dwellers have access to safe drinking water.
“With the completion of the ongoing project, 86% of the rural population in the province will be supplied with piped water,” he added.
The official noted that plans have also been devised to supply water to an additional 80 villages in the near future.
In related news, Paven has reported that the project to transfer water from Azad Dam in Kurdestan to the Sanandaj Water Treatment Plant in the provincial capital has registered 60% progress and is expected to be completed by the end of August.
So far, 15 km of the 27-km transmission line have been laid. About $10 million have been spent on the project, the completion of which is estimated to cost another $10 million.
The project will supply drinking water to Sanandaj with a population of about 400,000. It will also provide water to villages situated along the way.
With a capacity of 300 mcm, Azad Dam is built on the Gura River 75 km from Sanandaj-Marivan Road. Water from the dam will also be supplied to the residents of Qorveh and Dehgolan plains and to generate electricity at the 10-megawatt hydroelectric power plant.
An 87-km canal connecting the dam to Qorveh and Dehgolan towns will supply water for farming in the two towns. Water tables in the region have plunged by over 18 meters due to the excessive use by the farming communities.
In addition to supplying water to Sanandaj, Qorveh and Dehgolan, plans are underway to supplement water delivery to six other cities in the province from different dams, which need $80 million in new funding.
With the completion of projects in Marivan, Yasukand, Bijar, Baneh, Saqqez and Kamyaran, close to one million people will get access to potable water.
Currently, 60% of the water for Kurdestan Province are supplied from surface and dam water, and 40% via groundwater resources.
Kurdestan is a mountainous region and home to many rivers, lakes, glaciers and caves. It has a population of 1.6 million who are largely active in agriculture and livestock farming. Wheat, barley, grains and fruits are their main products. Industries in the region include chemicals, metal, textiles, leather and food.
