TEHRAN – Fifteen dams will become operational across the country by the end of the year (Iranian year ends March 20). The dams will have the capacity of reserving some two billion cubic meters of water, noted deputy energy minister in water affairs Rasul Zargar.

Also, he added, a total of 71 dams are expected to be built across the country by the end of the nation’s Fourth Five-Year Socioeconomic Development Plan.

In case of allocation of about Rls.40, 000 billion to the dam building projects every year, the water shortage-related problems would be resolved to some extents, he maintained.

The deputy energy minister also commented on the water shortage in the referring to the dam building projects in the eastern parts of the nation in particular the Southern Khorasan Province and said, given the drastic decline in the rainfalls in the province, construction of dams in the region would not be logical.