Drinking water supply in Iran's capital could run out in two weeks

The main drinking water supply for residents of Iran's capital Tehran is at risk of running out within the next two weeks due to a historic drought raging in the country, according to Iranian state media.

The Amir Kabir dam - one of five reservoirs that supply drinking water to Tehran - "currently holds only 14 million cubic meters of water, or 8% of its capacity," Behzad Parsa, director of the capital's water supply company, said on Sunday, according to the IRNA news agency.

At this level, Mr. Parsa warned, the reservoir could only continue supplying water to Tehran "for another two weeks."

The announcement comes as Iran is experiencing its worst drought in decades, with a local official claiming last month that rainfall in Tehran province was “unprecedented in a century.”

A year ago, the Amir Kabir dam held 86 million cubic meters of water, but there has been a “100 percent drop in rainfall” in the Tehran area, Mr. Parsa said. Mr. Parsa did not provide details on the status of other reservoirs in the system.

According to Iranian media, Tehran's population consumes about 3 million cubic meters of water per day.

In July and August, Iran announced two public holidays to conserve water and energy, while power cuts occurred almost daily amid a heatwave when temperatures in Tehran exceeded 40 degrees Celsius and exceeded 50 degrees Celsius in some areas.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned at the time: "The water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today."

Water scarcity is a major problem across Iran, particularly in the country's arid southern provinces, with shortages blamed on poor management and overexploitation of underground resources, coupled with the growing impact of climate change.

Source: https://congluan.vn/nguon-nuoc-uong-tai-thu-do-iran-co-the-can-kiet-trong-hai-tuan-10316374.html