President visits flood-hit areas in Sistan and Baluchestan
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited flood-stricken regions in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan to take necessary measures to prevent further damage to the province’s infrastructure, houses and roads in case of floods in the future.
President Raisi referred to the construction of dams as a measure that must be taken to prevent floods in the province. He said that construction of more dams in the province is on the government’s agenda.
He noted that dams would help the province to store rainwater that is a blessing for the people of Sistan and Baluchestan, which has been facing severe drought in recent years.
Rescue operation is underway in the flood-hit areas of the province, which have been inundated by the recent floods.
The province’s Deputy Governor Mansour Bijar said on Tuesday that most of the problems caused by recent floods in the province have been solved but “we are still facing problems in reaching 46 villages” cut off by rising waters.
Bijar said that power and water have been restored in most parts of the flood-hit areas and most of the roads, which had been closed due to the floods, have been reopened. However, he said that 31 villages still have no access to water, adding that authorities have promised to solve the problem very soon.
Caused by heavy rains, the floods have hit 16 cities and 1,947 villages. Vast areas in the province have been inundated by floods.
The cities of Dashtiari Qasrqand, Nikshahr and Chabahar are the hardest hit.
According to the head of the province’s crisis management, Majid Mohebbi, floods have caused more than $40 million in damage so far. Over 10,000 people have been affected by the flood.
On Tuesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called for continuation of relief aid by state and private sectors for the country’s flood-stricken province.
Government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said that the government has allocated more than $8 million to provide relief for the affected people and compensate the damage caused by the floods.