Farmers in Isfahan Don Shrouds in Protest Against Water Rights Issues

Farmers in Isfahan donned shrouds in protest against issues related to water rights allocation and the indifference of officials, marching again on Thursday, November 16. According to videos shared on social media, the protesting farmers chanted 'Death to this deceptive government' to criticize government policies. Some of the shrouds worn by the protesting farmers featured criticisms against the 'indifference of Isfahan officials' and calls to halt the Ben-Boroujen water supply project. The project, which aims to transfer water from the Zayandeh Rud basin to the Karun basin, known as the Ben-Boroujen project, was initiated in 2014 with the 'goal of providing drinking water and industry to the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province' and is set to be inaugurated by Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This project has faced widespread criticism, with opponents emphasizing that no new extractions should be made from the Zayandeh Rud basin until water rights are clarified and excess allocations are compensated. Farmers in Isfahan have repeatedly protested in recent years over issues related to securing water rights from the Zayandeh Rud for autumn crops and the permanent restoration and flow of this river. These protests have occasionally faced government force. Continuous protests by farmers have, at times, garnered support from various segments of Isfahan's population. For instance, thousands joined the protesting farmers on November 19, 2021, in the dry bed of the Zayandeh Rud to protest water shortages, water management, and the lack of water rights allocation. The head of the Zayandeh Rud watershed recently referred to '20 years of neglected work' regarding the problems of this river, describing current water resources as 'limited' and the region's cropping pattern as 'disrupted.' Alireza Almasvandi stated on July 25 that 'upstream we have 100% supply and downstream only 20%.' Previously, a member of Isfahan's farmers' union had described the 'mismanagement' of officials in water distribution as a barrier to farming and income generation, warning of consequences such as increased unemployment and migration. Mohsen Mir Miran emphasized last year in an interview that the destruction of agricultural lands would lead to environmental degradation and the expansion of deserts.