Plans are underway to equip all the water wells in Ilam Province with smart meters, Ilam’s governor said.
“There are more than 2,000 wells in the province. Of these, 40 wells are located in the capital city of Ilam and the rest are scattered in 11 counties,” Hassan Bahramnia was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Smart or intelligent wells are advanced wells with sensors and valves that allow easy and constant monitoring by the utilities.
The installation of smart meters on wells helps control groundwater usage and prevents overconsumption and waste.
If farmers draw more water than the amount specified for them from their wells, electricity will be cut off automatically, and the supply will not be resumed until water and electricity inspectors are assured of consumption compliance.
To reduce water consumption in the agricultural sector, “cropping pattern in the province should change as well,” Bahramnia said.
“The change in the type of cultivation has been notified to all provinces by the Agriculture Ministry, and our priority is drought-tolerant crops that need very low amounts of water,” he added.
The largest sector of Ilam's economy is agriculture. There are more than 55,000 farmers in the province. It is estimated that about 50% of all households in the province are either directly or indirectly involved in agricultural activities.
In the 2018 harvest year, 223,228 hectares (11% of the territory of Ilam Province) cultivated wheat, barley, forage maize, corn, watermelon, melon and cucumber, producing 700,732 tons of produce in total, of which 14% were through dry farming.
As of 2019, the total area of all orchards in Ilam was 3,950 hectares, which produced 15,409 tons of fruits. The most grown horticultural products are grapes, walnut, pomegranate, peach, olive and figs.
Dams Under Construction
Emphasizing the importance of water storage in the province, Bahramnia said, “We should try to preserve groundwater resources and make better use of surface water resources. One of the measures in this regard is dam construction.”
Dams are the main source of supplying safe drinking water for 600,000 people in Ilam.
Currently, Ilam has three dams that provide potable water for the urban and rural population and generate electricity.
Drinking water for Ilam City and the surrounding regions is supplied by Ilam Dam, 15 km east of the city, which has a storage capacity of 63 million cubic meters. Water from the dam is also supplied to industries.
Another dam is Seimareh whose main goal is hydroelectric power generation. The hydroelectric power station adjacent to the reservoir has an installed capacity of 480 megawatts and can generate 850 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. A part of the water in the dam, with a capacity of 3.2 mcm, is used to irrigate the nearby farms.
Shohadaye Ilam Dam, situated on the Galal River, is another dam located 35 km west of Ilam City. It can hold 20 mcm of water to be used mainly by Ilam Petrochemical Complex and a namesake gas refinery. In addition, the dam will help control flooding from rivers.
Several other dam projects are underway in Ilam to help collect water during the rainy season to be used later in the warmer seasons.
The construction of Konjancham Dam in Mehran County has registered over 85% progress. The dam in the western province has a reserve capacity of 85 million cubic meters. The most important purpose of building the dam is to store water in winter to be used later in the agricultural sector and prevent water outflow from the western borders. It will help irrigate 2,750 hectares of farmlands in the region.
Sikan Dam in Darreh-Shahr County has made almost 30% physical progress. Upon completion, it will help supply potable water to parts of the province and farmlands near the dam that will hold 12 mcm of water and irrigate 4,600 hectares of farms.
Vargar Dam in Abdanan County is another important project in Ilam, which has made about 10% progress. It is to help lift the rural farming community and irrigate 2,000 hectares.
Meymeh Dam in Dehloran County is another incomplete project in the province. The dam should store 80 mcm and irrigate 4,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Chenareh Dam in Chardavol County is also set to be built on a namesake river between Ilam and Kermanshah provinces, 24 km from Eslamabad-e-Gharb City. The structure is designed to hold 6 million cubic meters of water.
