Thousands protest in Khuzestan cities in support of the people of Khorramshahr
Thousands of people gathered in cities near Khorramshahr in Khuzestan Province, including Ahvaz, the provincial capital, Bandar Mahshahr, and Sarbandar, in support of the Khorramshahr people's protest over the poor drinking water situation.
Footage sent to Voice of America shows hundreds of people on Naderi Street in Ahvaz from Sunday night until the morning of Monday, July 11, chanting Arabic slogans and singing songs in solidarity with the people of Khorramshahr.
Similar videos have been released from other cities in Khuzestan Province.
In Bandar Masher, hundreds of people remained on the streets from Sunday night until Monday morning, July 2, expressing their solidarity with the people of Khorramshahr.
Similar gatherings were also held in some other places, including in "Sarbandar", the residential and non-port section of Bandar Imam Khomeini (Bandar Shahpour).
The people of these cities are protesting the Iranian government's treatment of protesters over the water crisis in Khorramshahr.
Three days ago, the poor drinking water situation led to peaceful protests and gatherings in Khorramshahr, but on Saturday night, military and police forces opened fire on the people.
On Sunday, July 1, local officials announced that no one was killed in the clashes and promised that the water problem in Khorramshahr would be resolved soon.
Khorramshahr is an important city in Iran that was occupied by Saddam for a while during the war with Iraq and became known as the Bloody City. The authorities' lack of attention to the situation of the people of this city also led to public protests in cyberspace.
Water crisis in different regions of Iran
A day after protests over the water problem in Khorramshahr, reports indicate that various regions of Iran are facing a crisis of water cuts or poor-quality water distribution.
IRNA news agency quoted the CEO of Yazd Water and Wastewater Company as saying that the salinity of the water in this city has doubled or tripled in recent days.
The director of the water quality control office of the Yazd Provincial Water and Wastewater Company also said that in some areas of Yazd, drinking water has become extremely salty.
Ali Sari, a member of the Khuzestan Provincial Assembly of Representatives, also said that although Abadan and Khorramshahr have the most severe water situation, the cities of Ahvaz, Karun, Bawiyeh, Hamidieh, and Susangerd are also facing water problems.
He said: "In Ahvaz, there are public gatherings regarding the shortage of drinking water, but these gatherings are not like those in Khorramshahr, Abadan, and Shadegan."
In another report, the Ramhormoz city prosecutor announced that 230 people in three villages in the city were poisoned after drinking contaminated water. He said that a case has been filed in this regard.
Previously, various reports had been published about the distribution of drinking water by tanker in various regions of Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan.
The water crisis in Iran has intensified following severe droughts in recent years, excessive use of groundwater resources, and mismanagement of water resources.
The escalating crisis comes at a time when some experts believe that there is a solution to the water shortage in Iran and that action should be taken as soon as possible to achieve it.
However, at the height of environmental problems and the water shortage crisis, Kaveh Madani, a water resources expert and professor at Imperial College London, who had returned to Iran at the invitation of the government and was working as the deputy director of research at the Environmental Protection Agency, was forced to leave the country last March due to pressure from security institutions.
Source: Voice of America
