Land subsidence caused by water shortage in Qazvin Province is reaching a dangerous level in some parts of the province, according to the head of the provincial Department of Environment (DoE) Sadroddin Alipur, ILNA reported.
Earlier this month, the representative of Qazvin Province at the Supreme Council of Provinces Mikaeel Salmani tried to draw attention to the province’s water problems and warned of the impending transformation of the province’s fertile lands into barren landscapes if preventative measures are not taken.
Qazvin Province is currently home to 440,000 hectares of farmlands. Previously, there were 3,500 hectares of gardens where almonds and pistachios were grown. However, the gardens have no shrunk to barely 2,000 hectares. “Decline in rainfall combined with aggressive development has forced the residents of the province to excessively withdraw groundwater, accelerating land subsidence as a result,” Alipur said.
“The governorate of Qazvin Province is taking measures to reduce the overdrawing of water, such as sealing illegal water wells and reducing legal ones.”
Taking advantage of Shahrud River to alleviate the water problem is another measure being discussed in meetings, Alipur said, and added, “This measure requires expert analysis before it can be implemented.”
Groundwater-related land subsidence is a common problem in the developed world, with some estimates suggesting that 80% of serious land subsidence is associated with excessive extraction of groundwater.
