Water levels in Darbandikhan dam continue to drop

On Thursday, the Darbandikhan dam administration announced that the dam's water level decreases by 7 to 8 centimeters per day.

Kurdsat News quoted Rahman Khani, Director of the Darbandikhan dam, saying, "the water level in the dam is decreasing daily by 7 to 8 centimeters," noting that "the water level has decreased by 7 meters and 40 centimeters compared to the previous year."

"The decrease in water in the dam affects agriculture in the areas of Diyala Governorate as the water supply is barely sufficient for drinking and irrigation purposes in the region," he added. 

Khani pointed out that the years 1999, 2000, 2008 and 2009 witnessed a further decrease in the water level in the dam compared to this year, but the lack of rain and snow and water cut-offs from Iran had other effects on the water level of the Darbandikhan dam.

The Kurdistan Region has experienced drought and extremely hot temperatures due to the lack of water resources within its boundaries during the current year. Many observers believe that the current drought is caused by the Kurdistan Region's neighboring countries, where they block the rivers that enter the region by dams.

In addition, the Kurdistan Region has witnessed a relatively low rain and snowfall during the past winter and spring in compression with the previous years which has raised concerns for many, especially farmers who greatly rely on water for agriculture.



PUKmedia