Protests in Abadan Against Salinity and Water Rationing

Hundreds of residents of Abadan held a protest against the salinity of water and the rationing of drinking water in the city, gathering in front of the Abadan Water and Wastewater Company. According to IRNA news agency, about 800 citizens of Abadan carried placards with slogans such as 'Abadan has no water', 'Abadan equals Karbala', 'Sweet water is our right', 'Salty water, the smell of sludge and stench is not the right of the people of Abadan', and 'We do not want officials from the capital'. Based on videos shared on social media, the protesters chanted slogans demanding accountability from Abadan officials, including 'Our enemy is right here, they lie that it’s America' and 'Where are you, the shameless governor?'. One participant told IRNA, 'For several years, Abadan's water has faced problems, but unfortunately, no action has been taken to improve the situation, and officials are only busy holding meetings and visiting incomplete projects regarding this issue.' Another protester said, 'From today, the city's desalination plants are only selling 20 liters of water to people, which has caused discontent among the residents.' The protest on Wednesday, June 30, occurred after the Abadan Water and Wastewater Company announced on Tuesday, June 29, that water rationing would take place in this important city of Khuzestan province. The announcement stated that water rationing in Abadan was due to 'the salinity of the Bahmanshir River water at sea level, the cessation of water extraction from this river, and pressure drops'. The company also mentioned that water in Abadan would be rationed 'until the end of July' and urged residents to install water storage tanks in their homes until the complete operation of the second Ghadir line. The Ghadir water supply project began in 2010 for 'some priority cities such as Abadan, Khorramshahr, Masjed Soleyman, Andimeshk, Dezful, and Shushtar and 1200 villages in Khuzestan province'. The water rationing in Abadan comes at a time when, according to IRNA, Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of Iran, stated on June 21, 'The government is determined to resolve the drinking water problem of Abadan and Khorramshahr as soon as possible.' Following that, Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan, said on June 27, 'We must strive to improve the water situation in Khorramshahr and Abadan before it reaches the crisis threshold.' He added, 'The piped water for the people of these two cities is salty water.' Meanwhile, according to ISNA news agency, Jalil Mokhtar, the representative of Abadan in the parliament, stated on June 24 in a warning to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, 'The salinity of water in Abadan and Khorramshahr has exhausted the people.' He declared that the people of Abadan 'have not seen the fulfillment of promises to solve the water problem' and added, 'The water policies of your government have led to nothing but the salinity of drinking and agricultural water in Abadan.' This parliament member pointed out the 'transfer of water from the Karun River headwaters to other areas', questioning, 'How can your officials promise to transfer Karun water to neighboring countries while the people of Abadan are crying out for thirst?' According to IRNA, residents of Abadan and Khorramshahr have faced many problems in recent weeks due to the excessive salinity of the Bahmanshir River, which is the main source of drinking water for these two cities. Water rationing in Abadan occurs while many regions in Iran are struggling with water scarcity. The head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization recently stated that currently, over 70% of the country's population is facing 'water scarcity', and the per capita water availability this solar year has surpassed critical conditions. Iran's Minister of Energy also stated on April 20 that this year is the hardest in terms of water supply in the country in the last fifty years, warning that 334 cities with a population of 35 million are in a state of water stress this year. Continuing the issues related to water scarcity in Iran, 'Hamshahri Online' reported on June 28 that 'recent water outages and severe pressure drops in some areas of Isfahan have caused complaints from many citizens and concerns about water rationing in the summer.' Nevertheless, officials of the Isfahan Water Company stated that 'despite the water shortage, there is no news of rationing.' Additionally, according to ILNA news agency, Ghasem Ghaedi, the director of crisis management in Bushehr province, announced on June 22 that the problems arising from drought and water scarcity in this province have turned into a 'serious crisis', stating that in 'the southern part of Bushehr province, water has been rationed.'