Water crisis in Hamadan; Bar Association requests prosecutor’s investigation into alternative water source health
Hrana News Agency – The Bar Association of Hamadan Province, by writing a letter to the prosecutor of the province, warned about the high level of arsenic in the water of Talvar Dam, which is scheduled to be used in the near future to supply water resources to Hamadan and compensate for existing water shortages, and requested investigation into this matter. The following report also details some aspects of the water crisis existing in this city and the hardships that its residents are experiencing. Poor management of minimal rainfall and repeated water cuts have led to protests by residents of this city in recent days.
According to Hrana News Agency, the news organ of the collection of human rights activists in Iran, repeated water cuts in Hamadan have caused problems for the city’s residents.
Nearly 17 years ago, the project to build a water transmission line from Talvar Dam to Hamadan to supply water resources to the city began; in early September this year, the Bar Association of Hamadan Province, by writing a letter to the prosecutor of the province, stating that the level of arsenic in the water of Talvar Dam is so high that “it even has the ability to be absorbed through the skin,” requested this judicial authority to investigate this matter. The association also, in its letter, referring to the fact that the water crisis in this city resulted from the negligence and inaction of officials, asked the Hamadan prosecutor to also include judicial investigation of those responsible for this matter in its agenda.
Hasan Khanjani, the prosecutor of Hamadan, in response to the publication of the aforementioned letter, while stating that “the health of water cannot be questioned without necessary investigation and evidence,” claimed: “Whether this matter is a rumor or reality; as required by duty as public prosecutor, appropriate and urgent orders have been given to the responsible authorities to verify the accuracy or falsity of the matter.”
It should be noted that in early June of last year, for the first time, the issue of the excessive level of arsenic in the water of Talvar Dam was raised by the representatives of this city in parliament, which was followed by the negligence of the responsible authorities.
On the evening of Tuesday, September 1st, a group of citizens protesting the water shortage gathered in Ibn Sina Square in Hamadan and, by chanting slogans against officials whom they called incompetent, demanded attention to this situation. In response to this matter, the governor of Hamadan, stating that the project related to the water transmission line to Hamadan has made only 40 percent progress over the past 17 years, claimed: “Within the next one or two weeks, water transfer to Hamadan will take place.”
A resident of Hamadan regarding the water crises in this city told Hrana: “While media outlets close to the government state that water cuts in Hamadan are 12 hours a day, daily more than 18 hours of piped water in this city is cut off or faces severe pressure drop. Also, in some less privileged neighborhoods of the city, water cuts sometimes extend to 22 to 23 hours a day, the continuation of this situation has doubled the concerns of Hamadan citizens about the continuation of lack of access to safe drinking water.”
This resident continued: “Families living on the upper floors of apartment buildings have experienced far more critical conditions due to greater water pressure drop. In recent days, water distribution vehicles from about 20 cities have been sent to Hamadan for mobile water supply, and water is being supplied by tankers. Meanwhile, the Red Crescent, without any specific order and plan, carries out limited distribution of mineral water among households.”
Water crises in the country, in the shadow of poor water resource management and minimal rainfall, have previously caused numerous problems for citizens, especially those living in cities with limited water resources or hot regions.
Source: Hrana
