Lack of rainfall in the current water year (started September 2022) compared to the previous year has caused a decline in the level of water in dams and groundwater resources of Markazi Province, indicating that the province is facing a dry year, the managing director of the provincial regional water company said.
“The precipitation this year has been about 20% less than last year and so far only 180 mm of rain have been recorded in the province,” ISNA also quoted Ezzatollah Ameri as saying.
“The decline in rainfall has reduced water inflow to the province's dams, so that currently only 17% of the reservoir of Al-Ghadir Dam in Saveh County are full and there is just 50 million cubic meters of water stored there,” he said.
“Over 90% of water in the dam are consumed in the agriculture sector and the rest is used in the drinking sector. However, 70% of the water used in the farms are wasted due to the old inefficient ways in farming practices and dilapidated facilities.”
According to the official, improving irrigation methods, equipping lands with modern irrigation systems and preventing the cultivation of water-intensive crops are necessary to prevent water wastage.
Saveh is 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Located in a dry arid region with below minimum precipitation like many other parts of the country, Markazi Province has struggled with severe drought and water deficits for years.
Al-Ghadir Dam, built in 1993, has a storage capacity of 278 million cubic meters of water. The dam was basically designed to supply water for 23,000 hectares of farmlands, but with water shortage in Saveh, a portion of its water is also used to supply drinking water for 300,000 people.
Saveh is a major producer of wheat and cotton and well known for its pomegranates and melons. Kaveh Industrial City, the largest industrial city in Iran, is also located there.
Ameri said currently, only half of the dam is full, which is allocated for the drinking water needs of Arak City and villages on the route from Shazand to Arak.
Depleting Groundwater Resources
Groundwater resources are a major source of water supply in the province, though their level decreases by about 1.5 meters every year.
Rapidly declining water resources have compelled the government to increase the number of plains from which water withdrawal is banned from 69 in 1968 to 405 at present. There are 25 proscribed plains in Markazi Province.
Of the total 3 billion cubic meters of renewable water in the province, 91% are used for farming, 5% for drinking and 4% by industries.
Surface water comprises 700 million cubic meters of renewable water and 2.3 bcm are extracted from groundwater resources.
Reducing water consumption in the agro sector and increasing efficiency using drip irrigation are other measures taken by the provincial water managers.
Drip irrigation is one of the efficient systems used across the world. Instead of irrigating the whole field, water is supplied only to the plant root. The primary goal of drip irrigation is to supply water when plants need it most and at rates needed for proper plant growth.
Water Transfer
In a bid to help address the water issues in Saveh County, the provincial capital, the project to transfer water from Kouchari Dam in the central Isfahan Province to Saveh is underway and is expected to be completed in about a year.
So far, about half of the total 120 km transmission line has been put in place and the installation of the rest will be completed with the help of the Energy Ministry.
When launched, the water supply project from Kouchari Dam to Saveh and surrounding villages will transfer 440 liters of water per second to 300,000 people.
The project requires about $40 million and will transfer 14 million cubic meters of water per year, when completed.
