Ahvaz: Sewage in the City, Homes Surrounded by Water

As Ahvaz residents’ homes are besieged by rain and sewage, the Water and Sewerage Company and Ahvaz Municipality blame each other for “irresponsibility.” Ahvaz has 2,400 kilometers of sewage networks, of which 1,100 kilometers are deteriorated. The lives of Ahvaz residents are floating on water.

Just three hours of rain over Ahvaz’s skies was enough to pour 90 millimeters of water into the city’s surface water drainage networks and channels. However, these channels did not have the capacity to handle this volume of rainfall, and most central and sloped areas of Ahvaz were flooded.

The latest reports from executive agencies in Ahvaz indicate that even the deployment of 1,700 municipal service personnel has been unable to contain the surface water accumulated in public streets, homes in sloped areas, shops, stores, schools, and even the transit area of Ahvaz Airport.

The recent heavy rainfall in Khuzestan Province, which based on video images shared on social media and clips sent to Deutsche Welle has disrupted the lives of most Ahvaz families, began on Monday, December 16, and reached Ahvaz.

Rainfall in the first hours of Monday was measured at 104 millimeters in Abadan alone, 60 millimeters in Ahvaz, 28 millimeters in Mahshahr, 21.8 millimeters in Dezful city area, and 20 millimeters at Dezful meteorological station.

According to the latest information, up until the time of compiling this report, the intensity of rainfall in Ahvaz, Abadan, and Mahshahr has not decreased.

Ahvaz Facing a More Critical Situation Than Other Cities

Ahvaz has faced a more critical situation among other cities in Khuzestan Province, and some unconfirmed reports suggest the evacuation of certain residential areas is being considered.

Meanwhile, according to ISNA, citing the CEO of Ahvaz Water and Sewerage Company, within the next 48 to 72 hours, the accumulated water from flooded areas in the city will be discharged and conditions will return to normal.

Behnam Maridi, CEO of Ahvaz Water and Sewerage Company, said that on Monday night, approximately 90 millimeters of rain fell in just three hours, and this volume of rainfall entered the surface water drainage networks and channels during this period.

Sewage Networks, Victims of Dispute Between Ahvaz Municipality and Water Company

Ahvaz’s sewage network and surface water drainage channels cannot handle this volume of water due to various reasons including deterioration, lack of dredging, and unbalanced urban development, which has caused “sewage backflow” and water entering Ahvaz’s streets. More importantly, there is a dispute between the Municipality and Water Company regarding sewage networks and surface water drainage.

According to the CEO of Ahvaz Water and Sewerage Company, water present on street surfaces has caused problems for Ahvaz’s sewage lines, and as long as the municipality does not discharge these waters, Ahvaz’s sewage problems will persist.

Meanwhile, IRNA has reported on the dispute between Water and Sewerage Company officials and Ahvaz Municipality. The only victim of this years-long dispute is the incomplete development of the city’s sewage network.

The report states that the absence of a surface water drainage system in Ahvaz, given the expansion of construction and the lack of development of the sewage disposal network, has aggravated people’s problems more than ever before.

The CEO of Ahvaz Water and Sewerage Company reports that only 40 percent of the comprehensive sewage plan for Ahvaz has been implemented, and states that street flooding caused by rainfall is related to the municipality’s domain, and according to Article 55 of the Municipality Law, this organization should collect and discharge surface water.

He added that until a surface water drainage network is created under the responsibility of Ahvaz Municipality, whenever rainfall in Ahvaz exceeds 10 millimeters, the city will flood.

In contrast, Musa Shaeri, Mayor of Ahvaz, according to IRNA, cited the limited capacity of the sewage network as the cause of surface flooding, “as always,” and said that Ahvaz’s sewage disposal network is complex and the Water and Sewerage Company should dredge them.

According to Shaeri, in 1398 (2019), 44 billion rials were allocated by Ahvaz Municipality for surface water and sewage disposal, and constructing a surface water drainage network in Ahvaz requires approximately 10,000 billion rials in funding, which is “not cost-effective” because if the sewage network is fixed, this problem would also be solved.

Ahvaz has 2,400 kilometers of sewage networks, of which 1,100 kilometers are deteriorated. These networks are mostly made of concrete and reportedly collapse when sewage enters them.

The IRNA report emphasizes that for years, the Water Company and Ahvaz Municipality have been engaged in a game of “shifting responsibility” and attempting to “cover up their shortcomings,” while people suffer significant damages with every rainfall.

In Search of “Parliamentary Seats”

Ahvaz has witnessed heavy rainfall for two days, during which large volumes of standing water in streets and public passages have entered the homes of downstream residents. Many residential areas of Ahvaz are located on slopes, and for this reason, standing and poorly drained water easily encircles public passages and these residential areas.

Images received from users show that belongings and household items of many families living in sloped areas are submerged in standing water. Some attempted to block the entry of further undrained and sewage-contaminated water into their homes and houses using sandbags. Parking lots of many Ahvaz citizens are also surrounded by rainwater.

In video images received, some citizens sarcastically yet bitterly invited the country’s officials, representatives of Khuzestan Province, and provincial officials to be guests in their homes in conditions of living amid standing water mixed with urban sewage.

Others, criticizing the “years-long negligence of country officials” toward Khuzestan’s people, said that in these conditions, many are striking the people’s hearts to win parliamentary seats and gather votes.

Concerns About the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Add to all this the backed-up sewage that has entered homes of Ahvaz residents along with surface water. The Ministry of Health announced that given the dangerous nature of urban sewage contamination and hospital pollutants, it is sending expert teams to assess the health conditions of critical areas.

As undrained surface water flows into hospital sewage tanks, officials of the Ministry of Health have expressed concerns about hospital sewage flowing onto public streets and into homes and the spread of infectious diseases.

Source: DW