Tehran is facing such a severe water crisis that its 15 million residents may be forced to relocate, Iranian media reported on Thursday, citing the country's president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
"The situation is serious and Tehran is almost out of water," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying.
According to him, the possibility of relocation from the city as an emergency solution cannot be ruled out.
Iran is facing a water crisis in more than 20 of its 31 provinces.
The state news agency IRNA has reported that one of the largest water reservoirs could dry up completely within 3-4 weeks.
Levels have dropped below 10 percent in seven reservoirs in the state, two dams have completely dried up, and 80 percent of reservoirs are almost completely empty.
Climate experts have said that normal water supplies will not be possible for another two months until rain stabilizes the situation.
Pezeshkian said that several years of drought are the reason for the current crisis, but also past government policies, which, according to him, ignored this crisis.
Government offices and schools will continue to be closed until Saturday as a result of the crisis.
Many factories have closed, too.
Critics accuse the central government and provincial administrations of mismanagement.
Many Tehran residents have already left the capital for the northern provinces on the Caspian Sea, which do not have problems with supplies./ REL
(A2 Televizion)
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