Al-Zahra University Students Gather in Protest Over Water Cutoffs in Dormitories

A number of students at Al-Zahra University protested the ongoing water cuts and rationing in the university’s dormitories on Sunday evening, November 8th.

According to a report by “Amir Kabir Newsletter,” students gathered in the dormitory courtyard and chanted slogans such as “We are waiting for our rights, we’re not going anywhere, we’re staying here,” demanding immediate attention to the water situation and improved sanitary conditions.

According to reports, bathwater in the dormitories is only available for two hours at night, between 8 and 10 p.m., and is cut off for the rest of the 24-hour cycle.

On Monday, Tehran’s Water and Wastewater Organization announced that water pressure at these facilities has decreased due to “consumption exceeding twice the designated consumption pattern at Tehran’s universities, Al-Zahra and Amir Kabir.”

According to Sharif newspaper, although the official announcement did not mention Sharif University by name, the situation at this university appears to be more critical; water pressure has dropped from 3 to 0.75 PSI, as a result, dormitory tanks are not filling up and upper floors are experiencing water shortages.

Students say that university officials have repeatedly promised to resolve the issue after protests escalate and temporarily restore water service, but these cutoffs happen again.

One day before this gathering, images circulated on social media showing students standing in line to receive bottles of mineral water. According to reports, following the continued water cuts, a limited ration of mineral water has been allocated to each student.

Student activists had previously warned about the lack of emergency plans and officials’ inattention to the water situation.

The water shortage crisis that began at Tehran universities has now increased concerns about its expansion to other higher education centers across the country.

Mashhad Water Authority: Water Consumption Management is No Longer Merely a Recommendation, but a Necessity

With Iran’s continuing critical water situation, according to the CEO of Mashhad Water and Wastewater Company, the water reserves of Mashhad’s dams “have now fallen below three percent.”

Hossein Esmailian said on Sunday: “Although water consumption is relatively low during the cold season, current conditions show that water consumption management is no longer merely a recommendation, but a necessity.”

He also had no good news regarding rainfall in Razavi Khorasan Province: “Total rainfall in Mashhad has so far recorded only 0.4 millimeters, whereas last year this figure was approximately 27 to 28 millimeters, and the long-term average for the same period was approximately 14 millimeters.”

After Tehran, warnings about the water situation have now reached Mashhad.

Reza Hajikariml, chairman of Iran’s Water Industry Federation, said on Saturday, emphasizing that Tehran’s water situation is deteriorating exponentially: “Water rationing should have started much earlier. Currently, 62 percent of Tehran’s water is supplied from underground sources and the level of these aquifers has dropped drastically.”

Officials’ constant emphasis on the necessity of conservation by the public comes as the chairman of Iran’s Water Industry Federation again stressed on Saturday that the current crisis is the result of years of neglect of scientific warnings about the decline of underground aquifers and climate change.

He added: “Tehran’s salvation is only possible through a series of measures; from wastewater recycling and correcting consumption patterns to reducing water consumption in the agricultural sector.”

Previously, on November 6th, Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s President, also warned that if rainfall does not continue until the end of autumn, water rationing must begin in December, and “if it still doesn’t rain, we won’t have water and will have to evacuate Tehran.”

He made these remarks as the Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company announced that the water level in Tehran’s five major dams has reached 11 percent, and if Latyan Dam is excluded, this figure drops to only five percent.

Ali Shariat, Secretary General of the National Water Industry Federation, stated on Friday in an interview with news site “Rokna” that the cause of this crisis is “mismanagement and fragmented decisions in the agricultural and industrial sectors.”

Source: Radio Farda