Tehran [Iran], July 16: Iran is bracing for a deepening water crisis as extreme summer heat strains already dwindling resources. "We are in a state of drought," Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said this week, warning that the situation at reservoirs in several provinces is critical. Aliabadi urged the public to conserve water - and even threatened punishment. "The Energy Ministry plans to impose tough sanctions on excessive users," he said in a stern statement. In the capital Tehran, home to more than 15 million people, the situation is particularly dire. One of the city's main reservoirs could dry up within a month, according to the state news agency IRNA.(dpa)
Source: Qatar Tribune
