Severe Water Crisis in Yazd Amid Protests in Eastern Isfahan

Simultaneously with the protests of farmers in some areas of eastern Isfahan, the drinking water crisis in Yazd province has led to mandatory closures in Yazd on the 16th and 17th of Farvardin, just a week after the destruction of water transfer facilities from Isfahan to this province. The Deputy Minister of Interior for Security stated on Friday, Farvardin 15, that the transferred water to Yazd is 'exclusively for the drinking needs of the people.' He added, 'The water transferred from Kouhrang belongs to three provinces, and the essential drinking needs of the people are prioritized.' The Yazd Regional Water Company announced on Farvardin 9 that some individuals 'attacked' pumping stations three and four of the water transfer pipeline in the Varzaneh area of Isfahan and set these stations on fire. Meanwhile, Javad Mohajoubi, the CEO of Yazd Regional Water, stated that only seven percent of the water from the Zayandeh Rud watershed is transferred to Yazd, and this is solely for the drinking water of the people. According to Mr. Mohajoubi, the consequences of water scarcity in Isfahan should not be attributed to this seven percent. The head of Yazd Water and Wastewater Company stated that damage to the water transfer line has put Yazd in a 'severely critical' situation, and the available water resources in Yazd cannot compensate for this shortage even with maximum utilization. Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, estimated the damage from the deliberate destruction of water transfer facilities in Varzaneh at 180 billion tomans and added that 'this line has been attacked more than 50 times.' This member of parliament also said on Friday that the restoration of the transfer line would be completed today and expressed hope that the transferred water would reach Yazd by Saturday night. According to the CEO of Yazd Regional Water Company, the damage to pumping stations three and four includes burning and destruction of guard rooms, all electrical installations, main electrical panels, power poles, damage to electric motors, and diesel generators. This official also stated on Thursday that the resilience of the total volume of reservoirs managed by Yazd Regional Water Company, which covers nine counties in the province, is only 48 hours. Meanwhile, the maximum possible water supply from the Gulf defense line covers only about 10 percent of Yazd's drinking water needs. Currently, Yazd province is introducing water with a salinity of over 3000 into the drinking distribution network to reduce tension, and the people of Ardakan, Meybod, and Yazd are collecting drinking water from over 100 collection stations using 20-liter containers. Drinking water salinity is less than 1000, and water with a salinity of three thousand is considered semi-salty and non-potable. The water for Yazd province is sourced from the Zayandeh Rud watershed in Isfahan province, but with the intensification of drought in Isfahan, the transfer of water to Yazd has put more pressure on this watershed, and farmers in eastern Isfahan claim their water rights have been overlooked. The latest protest was related to a group of farmers from Khorasgan, Isfahan, who marched on Friday demanding their water rights. These farmers chanted slogans such as 'The water of Zayandeh Rud is our legitimate right,' demanding the opening of the river's water to their agricultural lands. In Natanz, a group of people protested against the 'plundering of agricultural water from villages' by mining companies and 'the support of the Ministry of Industry and the Natural Resources Organization for these companies' in front of the Natanz courthouse. The protests of the people and farmers of Isfahan regarding the distribution of water resources are not unprecedented. These protests escalated in 1400 to such an extent that they faced very violent responses from government forces. Experts believe that years of inefficient management of water resources, excessive use of groundwater reserves, unprincipled dam constructions, and allocation of water resources to water-intensive industries have embroiled Iran in 'water tension' and the country is gradually facing 'environmental disaster.'