Tehran may be evacuated as Iran faces worst drought in decades
City’s water could be cut off at night amid ongoing drought
- Iran is experiencing severe nationwide water shortages, endangering over 16 million people as record-low rainfall has left reservoirs critically empty.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran residents might face water rationing or even evacuation if the drought continues, a statement that drew criticism.
- Energy Minister Abbas Ali Abadi indicated that water supplies could be cut off at night and excessive consumption penalised, attributing the crisis partly to old infrastructure leakage.
- Key dams supplying Tehran, such as Latian and Karaj, are operating at less than 10 per cent capacity, with rainfall in the capital at its lowest level in a century.
- The dire situation extends to other major cities like Mashhad, where dam levels are below three per cent, prompting calls for a 20 per cent reduction in water consumption.