The project to transfer water from the Talvar Dam in Kurdistan Province to regions in Hamedan is in the final stages and is expected to be completed before the end of summer.
It will help meet potable water needs of the western region of Hamedan, managing director of Hamedan Province Regional Water Company said.
Worsening drought and declining rainfall over the years have reduced the province's water resources and created problems in supplying drinking water in 12 cities and 160 villages.
Moreover, due to the rising temperature this summer, water consumption has shot up to record levels. The Energy Ministry has prioritized the water transfer project to address the issue, Mohammad Zarouri was reported as saying by ISNA.
“Earlier this year, the Abshineh Dam dried up and now the Ekbatan Dam is destine for the same. As such, providing alternative resources is on the agenda of the provincial water authority,” Zarouri said.
The most important dam in Hamedan Province, Ekbatan Dam has a capacity to hold 36 million cubic meters, however, now it has less than 3 mcm, the official warned.
“Of the total 140 kilometers of water pipelines from the Talvar Dam to Hamedan, 130 km have been laid and work is in progress. The project is to be completed by next month,” Zarouri said.
He said the project also includes installation of water storage tanks, pumping stations and other facilities, which is being carried out by a contractor.
“When operational, 600 liters of water per second will be supplied to Hamedan.”
Constructed on the Talvar River, the Talvar Storage Dam is located near Bijar City in Kurdistan. It has a capacity of 500 mcm of water and is used for farming nearly 7,500 hectares of downstream and upstream plains in Kurdistan. Currently, the dam holds 130 mcm of water.
Other Projects
Over $33 million has been invested by private companies in water projects in Hamedan Province.
These include Green and Khorramroud dams as well as Sarabi water treatment plant now in different stages of construction.
With a capacity of 10 million cubic meters of water, Green Dam is one of the most important and vital projects in Nahavand and will have a positive effect on supplying water for drinking and farming.
Khorramroud Dam in Tuyserkan County is built on a namesake river and is expected to be completed by next March.
With an estimated capacity of 8 million cubic meters, the dam will supply drinking water to 40 villages, farms and industries.
A water treatment plant is under construction in Tuyserkan County and the water supply project to Tuyserkan from Sarabi Dam is in the final stages.
Tuyserkan is located about 100 km south of Hamedan in western Iran. It is famous walnuts – a prized export item. Other agricultural products include wheat, barley, potatoes, apples, plums, peaches and pears.
Hamedan is Iran’s fifth grape producer after Fars, Qazvin, Khorasan Razavi and West Azarbaijan.
Due to a chronic shortage of surface water, farmers in the province resort to groundwater from illegally-dug deep wells. The government has started sealing unauthorized wells to conserve the rapidly depleting resource and discourage the harmful practice of digging and using illegal wells.
The construction of dams is aimed at conserving the fertile region's water resources and help feed farmlands.
Iran has a disproportionate spatial distribution of rainfall, as a major portion of the rain usually falls in a short period and in certain regions. Reservoirs help collect the rainwater to be used during the rest of the year.
