The Urmia Lake Restoration Project is two years behind schedule due lack of timely allocation of funds as well as local communities’ unawareness of the critical conditions, according to top officials at ULRP.
Masoud Tajrishi, director for planning at ULRP, said a number of projects which could help inject water into the lake have not become operational as a result of fund shortage.
“For instance, out of 13 water treatment projects, only two pertaining to Tabriz and Orumiyeh facilities are underway and will most likely be completed by the year end [March 20, 2019],” he was quoted as saying by ISNA.
The ULRP, however, has endeavored to adapt to the budget shortage and proceed with plans by more efficient management.
“We began with projects that required less money… We have performed well in monitoring, controlling dust particles and establishing water treatment facilities in Tabriz and Orumiyeh,” he said.
Since the first phase of the project which targeted to stabilize Urmia’s water level was complete in 2016, only 4 trillion rials ($29 million) have been supplied for the restoration phase which is half the budget earmarked for that year, according to Tajrishi. From government resources, only some 20 trillion rials ($148 million) have also been provided, he added.
NDFI Contribution
The only budget announced this fiscal has been for the Zab water transfer canal, Khalil Saei, ULRP secretary in East Azarbaijan Province, said.
“An amount of up to 4 trillion rials [$29 million] have been set from the National Development Fund of Iran for the plan to transfer water from Zab River through a canal,” he said.
The official said once plans are completely organized by the ULRP, the government will announce the whole funds.
He affirmed that the project’s delay is due to challenges regarding money and local communities’ cooperation, but maintained that the progress of plans is satisfactory given the obstacles.
Zab canal is one of the key schemes which is nearing completion. Once operational, the canal from Zab River will feed the lake with 650 million cubic meters of water per year.
“Zab canal is 36 kilometers long, 22.15 km of which have been covered in lining. It is expected to come into operation by mid-2020 if budgets are provided in time,” Saei said.
Besides, Tabriz and Orumiyeh water treatment facilities will supply nearly 180 million cubic meters collectively when they become functional.
Moreover, thanks to ULRP’s efforts, 90 km of water streams in East Azarbaijan and 120 kilometers in West Azarbaijan have been dredged to allow water to reach Urmia, the official noted.
People’s Role
Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari, governor general of West Azarbaijan, stressed the importance of public cooperation saying that the lake could be revived in two years if farmers and the local people feel obliged to get involved.
“The agriculture sector in Urmia Lake’s catchment area consumes five to seven billion cubic meters of water which equals the entire potable water consumption nationwide,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
This is while, according to him, the farms could be irrigated by one billion cubic meters with optimized methods.
Awareness-raising programs concerning proper management of resources are underway with a budget of 21 billion rials ($155,000) and “are expected to have a positive influence,” said Farhad Sarkhosh, ULRP secretary in West Azarbaijan.
