Iran: Government considers closing government offices for a week due to water crisis

Tehran. Due to the acute water crisis, the Iranian government is considering a forced closure of government offices and other public institutions in Tehran for a week. "The water situation in Tehran is not good at all, which is why we must consider a one-week closure of the capital," said government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani. This would mean that offices, universities, and schools, for example, would not open during this period.

According to Mohajerani, the water crisis is a "national problem" and could soon lead to a catastrophe. Therefore, the government must consider unconventional options, she said, according to the IRNA news agency.

Due to the water crisis, the Iranian parliament plans to pass a reduction of the working week from five to four days (Saturday to Tuesday). Furthermore, the home office system will be reactivated, as was the case during the coronavirus pandemic, to reduce electricity and water consumption.

View of the Amir Kabir Dam near Tehran: According to recent data, it is only seven percent full due to low rainfall.

Source: -/dpa

The crisis is now having a profound impact in many parts of the country and is currently the dominant topic of discussion among Iranians. According to climate experts, 80 percent of the country's reservoirs are almost empty. Normal water supplies will not be possible for at least the next two months – until rains in the fall are expected to ease the situation.

Last week, water outages lasting 12 to 48 hours occurred in Tehran and 50 other cities. This led many residents to flee to the north of the country. The provinces along the Caspian Sea are not affected by the water problems.

"The situation is serious; Tehran truly has no water left," declared President Massoud Peseschkian. To prevent a catastrophe, he even did not rule out temporarily relocating the capital, with over 15 million inhabitants.

The current crisis is a result of years of drought, but also of the ignorant environmental policies of previous governments. The energy and water crisis also led to the closure of numerous factories. The country's production capacity was significantly weakened, and a large wave of layoffs was one of the consequences.

RND/dpa