Brazjan Residents Protest Water Cuts for Second Day
Citizens of Brazjan in Bushehr Province held gatherings for the second consecutive day to protest water cuts and water rationing.
According to IRNA news agency, hundreds of Brazjan residents gathered in the city’s main square on Sunday, July 17, and after chanting slogans, marched through the city’s main streets.
Videos shared on social media from Sunday night’s protests show that demonstrators chanted “Death to the dictator” and called for the resignation of officials.
This march, which continued until the early morning hours of Monday, July 18, was the second protest demonstration by Brazjan residents in recent days. On Saturday, residents of the city also protested against water shortage in Brazjan and disorder in water distribution by taking to the streets and chanting against the government.
IRNA reported the presence of Brazjan’s Deputy Governor among the protesters, noting that the people prevented him from speaking to justify the water problems with their shouts. The agency added that a delegation from the Ministry of Power has been dispatched to Brazjan to address residents’ grievances.
Based on videos shared on social media, protesters on Saturday chanted “The enemy is here, they keep saying it’s America” and “Incompetent official, resign, resign.”
The demonstrations over these two days were held with a heavy police presence.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor for Civil Affairs of Bushehr Province pledged that the water problem in Brazjan and several other cities in Bushehr Province would be resolved through measures such as drilling wells, transferring water from Farsi Province, and operating desalination plants.
Last week, the cities of Khorramshahr and Abadan also faced water cuts and saline water, leading to protest gatherings. These gatherings subsequently resulted in police intervention, clashes, and the arrest of at least 10 people.
The drought crisis, severe depletion of water resources, and drying up of Iran’s lakes and rivers have intensified in recent years.
Experts, in addition to decreased rainfall, identify incorrect water management policies and rampant dam construction as factors in the destruction of water resources in Iran.
Source: Voice of America
