As the water crisis and drought persist in Iran, a group of farmers from Isfahan province once again gathered in protest against water shortages and the drying up of the Zayandeh Rud River. Some protesters also broke the water pipeline supplying Yazd.
Videos circulated on social media show that a group of farmers from eastern Isfahan continued their protest on Saturday, March 29, demanding their water rights.
The gathering was held in protest against the authorities’ failure to fulfill their promises regarding the allocation of Zayandeh Rud’s water rights.
Yazd’s Water and Wastewater Company also reported damage to the drinking water pipeline supplying the province and urged citizens to minimize their water consumption to prevent shortages.
Jalal Alamdari, the CEO of Yazd Water and Wastewater Company, described the province’s drinking water situation as critical, citing the destruction of the water transfer pipeline. He warned that Yazd is now facing a shortage of 1,400 liters of water per second.
He announced that 13 water tankers would be used to combat the water shortage.
Protests by Isfahan’s farmers over the drying up of the Zayandeh Rud and the unfulfilled allocation of their water rights have repeatedly made headlines in recent years.
The protesting farmers argue that Isfahan’s rightful water share is being diverted to other provinces, including Yazd.
Isfahan is considered one of Iran’s most water-stressed provinces. Its residents have repeatedly protested against the Iranian government’s mismanagement of the water crisis.
In some instances, these protests have been met with violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces.
The first reported instance of the water transfer pipelines from Isfahan to Yazd being broken dates back to 2012, highlighting the severity of the crisis, which has only worsened in subsequent years.
It is worth noting that one of the major causes of water shortages in Isfahan is the allocation of the majority of freshwater resources to industries controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
