Flood Risk Increases in Several Iranian Provinces; Khuzestan and Sanandaj on Alert

Heavy rainfall in various parts of Iran has increased the risk of flooding. According to official reports, Khuzestan is at the highest risk, and Sanandaj has been placed on alert status. Government agencies are accusing each other of negligence.

While flooding has subsided in some areas of Iran, forecasts of heavy rainfall in the coming days have heightened officials’ concerns about devastating floods in other regions.

The Ministry of Interior has declared a state of alert for all relevant executive agencies and has revoked the leave of employees of relevant government organizations and institutions.

According to the Governor of Khuzestan, the increase in water volume in rivers in northern Khuzestan provinces will cause new floods in the province and will expose the region’s dams to serious danger.

The high volume of water stored in Dez Dam is the most concerning, and officials estimate that if this trend continues, the discharge from Dez could reach two thousand cubic meters per second. In such a case, more cities and villages in the province would face the threat of major floods.

In a number of Iranian provinces, including North Khorasan, Kermanshah, Golestan, and Lorestan, villages along river routes have been evacuated, and the relocation of residents from these areas continues.

Sanandaj Placed on Alert

According to Sanandaj’s mayor, following increased possibility of flooding, this city in Kurdistan, Iran has been placed on alert status.

According to ILNA, Hashmatolah Saidi said that in order to deal with potential flooding and prevent damage to citizens, vehicle traffic on Kurdistan Boulevard and the entrance to Abidarak mountain slope is prohibited and these routes are blocked.

Schools have also been designated for accommodating homeless people and Sanandaj citizens at risk of flooding.

“There is No Cause for Concern”

Government officials constantly emphasize that necessary measures have been taken to combat flooding and provide people with necessary supplies. On Sunday, the 11th of Farvardin (March 31), the Governor of Khuzestan said: “All necessary measures have been considered for managing the intake and discharge of water from the province’s dams, and there is no cause for any concern.”

The public relations director of the Kerman Court also stated: “There is no problem in supplying and providing essential goods, including bread, during rainy days and concurrent with potential flooding this week.” He further threatened that those who engage in “spreading lies and causing public panic” on social media will face legal action.

Social media activists have, since flooding began in northern provinces, Shiraz, and other parts of Iran, begun discussing the role of human factors in exacerbating the crisis situation in flood-affected areas. Rouhani’s criticism of certain measures taken by the IRGC in Golestan Province showed that not all social media discussions are “lies.”

Following Rouhani’s remarks, Mohammad Ali Jafari, Commander of the IRGC, implicitly criticized the negligence of government agencies. He said that if government agencies used all their capabilities “to the extent that people’s forces, Basij, IRGC, Army, and other armed forces” do, the fight against flooding would be conducted better.

Source: DW