Water supply will be halted in various regions, including Tehran, as Iran confronts its most severe drought in decades.
On Saturday night, authorities in the Islamic Republic announced they would reduce water availability due to the escalating crisis that is impacting the capital severely. There are even discussions about potentially evacuating the city, according to reports.
Energy Minister Abbas Alibadi stated on state television, “We have no choice but to cut off the water supply to the population in some evenings to replenish the water reservoirs.”
Alibadi also mentioned the possibility of installing pumps on the Iranian side to address the low pressure and supply issues.
“It may be inconvenient, but it will help reduce waste,” he said.
President Masoud Pezekian warned in a televised speech that if rainfall does not occur by December, it could force the roughly 10 million residents of Tehran to relocate to other areas of the country.
Details on how and when a large-scale evacuation might happen are still unclear.
Tehran reportedly uses over 790 million gallons of water daily.
The Amir Kabir Dam, one of five reservoirs serving Tehran, currently contains 3.6 billion gallons of water—significantly lower than the amount held at the same time last year, which was over six times that volume.
Some pipes in various states have begun to run dry, according to reports.
Authorities had been aware of the drought situation affecting the region since July, when Alibadi noted a 31% drop in rainfall.
In fact, half of Iran’s 31 provinces have gone without rain recently.
A report indicated that the Iranian government is negotiating to import water from neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Iran is situated in a subtropical arid zone, known for its mountains and deserts. The average annual rainfall in central Iran is less than 4 inches, highlighting the challenging climatic conditions.
