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Demonstrators gather on the dry course of the Zayandeh Rud River, demanding measures to return water to the river.
Tehran, Iran – Thousands of protesters have gathered in central Iran’s Isfahan to demand the revival of a large dried-up river.
State television and dozens of videos circulating on social media on Friday showed a sea of farmers and other people at the site of the main river Zayandeh Rud, near the iconic Khaju Bridge in Isfahan province.
“Breathe to Isfahan, return to our Zayandeh Rud,” the protesters proclaimed. Some called for “equality and justice”.
State television believes the drought in the river is directly affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of farmers in the province, as well as harming the environment.
The main river has been facing water shortages and droughts for years, and farmers have occasionally complained about the lack of attention paid to the issue. But officials have yet to find a lasting solution to the problem.
The former administration promised to find solutions, and the country’s Supreme Water Council approved a nine-point plan to revitalize a major wetland that was said to be a sustainable solution eight years ago, but was never fully implemented.
Farmers have been protesting at the site for more than a week, but Friday’s demonstration attracted the most people and attracted the attention of the government.
President Ebrahim Raisi held a meeting with environmental experts, and his first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, addressed the protesters directly in a brief phone call with the state announcer.
Mokhber promised that the administration would take the matter “seriously” and said it had ordered agriculture and energy ministers to resolve it. He added that several solutions have been proposed, but did not give any names.
Iran has been hit by droughts for decades, but has intensified over the past decade. Most provinces in Iran are currently experiencing some degree of drought.
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