Storm damages several billion tomans to southeastern provinces of the country; concerns about worsening of people's livelihoods
According to Iranian media reports, following the occurrence of "Storm Shahin" in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan in recent days, at least 40 billion tomans worth of damage has been caused to electricity poles and posts in Chabahar and Konarak.
Alireza Shahraki, Director General of the Sistan and Baluchestan Governorate's Crisis Management Office, announced this news to ISNA News Agency, estimating the damages caused by the storm and heavy rain in Chabahar and Konarak at around 30 to 40 billion Tomans, adding that the storm in these areas has decreased significantly compared to Saturday, October 1.
He continued, referring to the fact that the rotating cyclone Shaheen is moving towards Oman and the conditions have stabilized since Saturday, and said that maritime activities will not be allowed under any circumstances until the conditions are completely favorable.
Mohammad Radmehr, the governor of Jask, also announced the possibility of damage from the storm in an interview with IRNA news agency, saying that a number of residents of the village of Kroch in the county were settled in a safe place near the village, boats and vessels were called to the coast to secure the sea, and fishing boats were also moved inland.
However, on Saturday, October 1, the Baloch Activists Campaign posted a video on Twitter of two barges sinking at the Chabahar port dock, writing that fishermen "stated that relevant departments such as the Ministry of Fisheries only [issued] warnings."
Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, Director General of Crisis Management of Hormozgan Governorate, also announced the consideration of safe places for emergencies to relocate people at risk and if needed.
The head of the Nikshahr City Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance also posted a video of the storm on Twitter, writing: "Tropical Storm Shahin, which had formed in the past few days, has now reached its peak."
Voice of America previously reported that while Iran's Crisis Management Organization had warned of storms and heavy rain in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan, on Saturday, October 1, following a storm in Sistan and Baluchestan, 52 people visited medical centers for "eye, respiratory, and heart problems," and three were hospitalized.
Sistan and Baluchestan is one of the regions of Iran that is exposed to severe weather changes during some months of the year. However, the consequences of the storm in this province, due to what experts have assessed as "mismanagement" and "inefficiency of managers", have disrupted the lives of the people of this region more than ever before, and with the cessation of many daily activities, concerns have increased about the further deterioration of their living conditions.
The drying of the Hamoon International Wetland and the intensification of dust have deprived people in the northern province of Sistan and Baluchestan of access to clean air. In 2018, the Director General of the Environment of Sistan and Baluchestan, Nayra Pourmolaei, said that people in these areas had only 49 days of clean air in the first three months of this year.
Iranian authorities have often ignored warnings from environmental activists, sometimes accusing them of anti-security measures. Morad Tahbaz is a prominent Iranian-born environmental activist who holds US and British citizenship. He was arrested in February 2017 along with several other environmental activists and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of what they called “espionage.”
Source: Voice of America
