Iran starts pilot phase of project to transfer water to Lake Urmia

Iranian Energy Ministry says it has launched a pilot phase of a major project to transfer water to Lake Urmia amid hopes that the project could ease environmental concerns about drying up of the lake in northwestern Iran.

Officials said on Saturday the 36-kilometer tunnel linking the Little Zab river to Lake Urmia had started operating with partial transfer of water from Kani Sib Dam to the lake.

Iran has spent some $200 million on the Zab tunnel project which will enable the annual transfer of some 600 million cubic meters of water to Lake Urmia once the project is completed.

The Iranian Energy Ministry is also racing against the clock to finish two other projects for transfer of nearly 200 million cubic meters of water per year to the lake from sewage treatment facilities in metropolitan cities of Tabriz and Urmia.

Experts say it would take some five years for the lake to take some 3.4 billion cubic of water it needs to reach ecologically sustainable levels.

A total of 19 projects have been designed as part of Iran’s campaign to restore Lake Urmia.

Contractors said on Saturday that a first phase of the Zab tunnel project will come on line soon in a ceremony that will be attended by senior government officials.

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