Rasht's Polluted Rivers Suffer From Neglect, Lack of Funds

Gohar-roud and Zarjoub rivers in Rasht, Gilan Province, have remained polluted for years mainly due to lack of funds, a city councilor complained.

Fatemeh Shirzad, the head of Health and Environment Commission at Rasht City Council, regretted that the two rivers, whose spectacular landscape was once a tourist attraction, are now among the most polluted rivers of the country.

"Household and industrial wastewaters continue to contaminate the rivers while related organizations refuse to take practical action," she was quoted as saying by Zist Online.

According to the official, very few industrial units in Rasht are equipped with wastewater treatment systems and a majority of them release contaminated water into the rivers.

Shirzad said only 30% of the 500 billion rials ($12 million) earmarked by the government for the rivers have been allocated and a small sum was spent improperly on matters unrelated to river pollution.    

"The annual dredging of rivers and purchase of riverside lands are among effective measures taken by Rasht Municipality and the council," she said.

"The city council and municipality have performed their duties and the rest depends on other related entities."

The councilor lamented that fruitless meetings will solve no problem and discussions must result in the allocation of funds, calling on lawmakers from the province, especially Manouchehr Jamali, a member of Majlis Health Commission, to give more attention to the issue.

Shirzad also called upon the mayor of Rasht to include the resolution of problems related to the rivers in the municipality's budget plan for next year.