According to state media, water levels in dams have fallen by more than half compared to last year due to the country facing its most severe drought in the last sixty years.
Local officials say rainfall in Tehran has fallen to levels “almost unprecedented in the last century.”
Although the city saw its first rain of the season on Monday, the rainfall measured only 1.7 mm, which is 96% lower than last year.
According to Rama Habibi, an official at the Tehran Water Company, the total water volume in the city’s dams is currently 170 million cubic meters, compared to 381 million cubic meters last year.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in statements in recent weeks that if rainfall continues at this rate, Tehran, with a population exceeding 10 million, may have to be evacuated. However, no details were shared on how such a large-scale operation would be carried out.
The government announced that periodic water cuts would be implemented during nighttime hours in November to conserve water.
Rainfall amounts remained below normal this year in all 31 provinces of Iran, while four provinces (Bushehr, South Khorasan, Qom, and Yazd) recorded declines exceeding 100% below normal, reaching “critical” levels.