Decline of Iran's Groundwater Increases Drought Speed

According to the director of water resource protection and utilization in Alborz, the groundwater level in this province decreases by 0.8 to 1 meter each year. This reduction has led to a land subsidence of 22 to 30 centimeters. Hamid Mansouri also stated that based on past statistics, there are currently about 12,000 illegal wells in Alborz, of which only 30% pose no threat to groundwater due to their shallow depth. Since 2013, the Alborz Regional Water Organization has closed 1,000 illegal wells, and another 500 illegal wells will be closed in the next six months. He noted that before 2013, there were no inspection teams in the province; five inspection teams were established in 2013, and this number has now increased to 20. The issue of water scarcity, a natural result of declining precipitation, has become a serious threat in Iran, exacerbated by the excessive use of groundwater resources. The director also mentioned the installation of 245 smart meters on legal wells in the province to balance groundwater resources. These comments come as a judiciary official in Alborz announced that farms in the province are irrigated with wastewater, stating that legal action must be taken against those using wastewater for irrigation. Mehdi Jouhari, the social deputy and crime prevention of the Alborz judiciary, said that according to Article 688 of the Islamic Penal Code, the unauthorized use of raw sewage or treated wastewater for agricultural purposes is considered a public health threat. He also noted that irrigating farms with wastewater is common in many other provinces of the country. According to the director of water resource protection and utilization in Alborz, 15 projects have been defined and communicated to relevant agencies for the restoration and balancing of groundwater resources in the country. Mansouri stated that each province must plan for the implementation of these projects based on its situation, with three projects assigned to the Agricultural Jihad, one project to the Geological Organization, and 11 projects to the Ministry of Energy.