Representative of Khorasan Razavi: 'Selling' Waterways Caused Citizens' Deaths in Mashhad Flood

As the number of victims from the recent floods in Khorasan Razavi province rises to 12, the representative of this province in the Supreme Council of Provinces and several experts have stated that the 'selling' of waterways for construction is to blame for this situation. Heavy rain from the afternoon of Tuesday, May 14, in Mashhad, Fariman, Kalat, Sarakhs, and Torqabeh Shandiz led to flooding, waterlogging of homes, and the deaths and disappearances of citizens. Regarding the causes of these damages, Mousa al-Reza Hajibaglu, the representative of Khorasan Razavi in the Supreme Council of Provinces, told ILNA news agency on Saturday, May 20: 'When some people came and carved the mountain and a series of recreational complexes and illegal constructions were formed there, they should have predicted that floodwaters would enter the streets and highways of Mashhad, leading to such a tragic incident.' Mr. Hajibaglu continued: 'I have repeatedly stated in the public sessions of the Mashhad City Council that these constructions were done without study, and if there was any study, it was unrealistic.' Continuing floods and waterlogging in 16 provinces and a warning of 'heavy rainfall' in 9 provinces of Iran. Ali Beitollahi, a faculty member of the Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, also told the media on Saturday: 'In the city of Mashhad, the waterways were directed toward the Kashafrud River, carrying the flowing water of the entire city southward. These paths have either been sold or constructed. We see the consequences of these actions in the deaths of our fellow citizens in the flood.' According to reports from Iranian news agencies, around 200 residential units were damaged in the 'Sidi' neighborhood of Mashhad, and a woman and four children lost their lives in this neighborhood. Ali Beitollahi stated: 'The Sidi path in Mashhad caused the most damage. We have seven similar cases in Tehran that have a much higher potential for flooding than Mashhad. We were lucky that we did not have such heavy rainfall in Tehran.' Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, on Sunday, May 21, in his pre-session speech, called for 'attention' to the problem of 'safety of unstable structures in the Sidi neighborhood of Mashhad' but did not mention the issue of 'selling' waterways for illegal construction in Mashhad and other counties in the province. Previously, several environmental activists had criticized the destruction of mountains and waterways in Mashhad and warned about its consequences. Mashhad has one of the most dilapidated urban fabrics in Iran, and according to official reports, a significant percentage of the country's unstable urban buildings are located in Khorasan Razavi province.