Caspian Water Transfer Plan Opposed

The parliament has opposed the controversial plan to transfer water from Caspian Sea to the drought-hit central plateau after long debates over the issue.

Critics have long argued that pumping water from the sea will eventually lead to an increase in Caspian Sea’s salinity that will endanger the habitats it supports, IRNA reported.

During an open session held on Tuesday, lawmakers decided to omit the paragraph from the Article 45, according to which, transfer of water from the Caspian Sea and similar vulnerable wetlands and lakes to the central water-stressed regions will be authorized after carrying out feasibility studies on environmental effects, water management methods and replenishment of the water sources.

However, dismissing arguments made by critics of the scheme, namely Massoumeh Ebtekar, the head of the Department of Environment, Parviz Kardovani, who is a prominent academic and eremologist (expert on deserts), claims that the plan “is one of the most feasible and financially-viable projects of its kind".