Water and Electricity Shortages in Iran; Eyewitnesses Tell VOA: Life is Disrupted

Eyewitnesses told the Persian section of VOA that the frequent outages of water and electricity in various regions of Iran, including urban, industrial, and agricultural areas, have caused significant problems for citizens. An eyewitness in Alborz province reported to VOA that following rainfall, electricity and water were cut off in most areas of Fardis County for 'about six hours' without prior notice. According to him, the sudden and unprepared water cut has disrupted the lives of citizens, especially families, causing serious difficulties for washing and cooking. Additionally, citizen reports on social media show images of people lining up with their containers to receive water from a fire truck due to the water cut in Fardis. Furthermore, an eyewitness in Markazi province mentioned to VOA that 'power outages in industrial units occur twice a week' and for 'agricultural wells, every day from 11 AM to 4 PM.' He stated that 'residential power outages have also started at the beginning of the week.' This eyewitness, who travels to several cities across Iran for work, noted that 'almost all of Iran is facing a power shortage.' He attributed the main causes of the electricity crisis to 'a significant increase in consumers over the past six years' and also 'changes in the type of cooling systems used,' including 'the removal of evaporative coolers and the installation of non-standard gas coolers.' Additionally, he pointed out that 'the aging of industrial equipment in industries' and 'the deterioration of electricity infrastructure in production and distribution' are contributing factors. He emphasized that 'most importantly, no additional megawatts have been added to production due to sanctions.' Social media users from various cities report that simultaneous outages of water and electricity, along with slow internet and weak mobile signals, have created serious disruptions in daily life. Some citizens also report that the city water is muddy after reconnection. Moreover, the Fars news agency reported that electricity consumption in 302 large industrial units in Iran has increased by 11.5% compared to 2022 and by 23% compared to 2021. The hot weather and increased energy consumption in summer annually lead to electricity shortages and rationing. Additionally, water bankruptcy, which most experts attribute to the inefficient management of the Islamic Republic officials, has led to widespread protests in recent years. Water researcher Roozbeh Eskandari stated that 'over 100 dams have cut off the arteries supplying water to Lake Urmia.' He considers 'the only hope for reviving Lake Urmia' to be 'the immediate opening of all dams, shutting down wells around the basin, dismantling and removing the stone materials of the Shahid Kalantari highway, and ultimately hoping for rain,' emphasizing that 'the lake will not be revived by slogans.' Meanwhile, the legal advisory group 'Dadban' reported on Wednesday, August 9, that a writer named Saeed Minaei was arrested on August 7 in connection with reports about the critical situation of Lake Urmia, and his mobile phone was confiscated. Saeed Minaei, a civil activist residing in Benab County in East Azerbaijan, has reportedly not contacted his family since his arrest, and it is unclear 'which agency arrested him and on what charges.' The water and electricity shortages in Iran are not limited to one region, and reports received by VOA and shared on social media indicate that outages have been reported in various provinces in recent days, leading to protests in areas such as Tabriz and Shadgan. In recent days, officials of the Islamic Republic have acknowledged that the water crisis has affected more than 300 cities in Iran. Kaveh Madani, director of the UN Water Think Tank, emphasizes that 'water, electricity, and gas bankruptcy in Iran cannot be resolved by closures.'