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The water level in Tehran’s dams and those in its surrounding areas is less than half of what it was last year due to a historic drought, according to state media, as Iranian authorities warn of the risk of shortages.

Iran is facing its worst drought in six decades this year, and in Tehran, the capital, the low level of rainfall is “almost unprecedented in a century,” a local official said in October.

Tehran saw its first autumn rains late on Monday, but they remain largely insufficient.

“The third month of autumn has begun with only 1.7 millimeters of rainfall, down 96% compared to last year,” said Rama Habibi, an official from the Tehran Water Company.

“The total volume of water stored in the dams of Tehran province currently stands at 170 million cubic meters,” Habibi added, as quoted Tuesday evening by the official Irna news agency.

A year earlier, that volume stood at 381 million cubic meters.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly warned that Tehran, a city of more than 10 million people, may have to be evacuated if rains do not return, without specifying how such a large-scale operation would be carried out.

The government announced periodic nighttime cuts in November in order to conserve water.

Nestled on the southern slopes of the Alborz mountain range, Tehran experiences hot, dry summers; autumns that are sometimes rainy; and winters that can be harsh and snowy.

In Iran’s 31 provinces, rainfall levels are below normal this year, according to the Isna agency.

In four provinces — Bushehr (southwest), South Khorasan (east), Qom, and Yazd (center) — the situation is particularly critical, with rainfall more than 100% below normal, Isna reported on Sunday.
 
With AFP