Deputy Minister of Energy: ‌ We are pursuing the delivery of Iranian water based on the Helmand Treaty

According to Fars, quoting the news site of water resources management, Mohammad Javanbakht, Deputy Minister of Energy for Water and Abfa Affairs and CEO of Iran Water Resources Management Company, referring to the 25th meeting of the Joint Committee of Helmand Water Commissioners from 25 to 27 In June of this year in Tehran, the Ministry of Energy announced a serious pursuit for the delivery of Iranian water under the 1351 Helmand Treaty.

Emphasizing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s adherence to international treaties, Javanbakht stated: “We hope that the Afghan delegation will convey the clear message of the Islamic Republic of Iran to its rulers on the necessity of adhering to the 1351 treaty between the two countries and take action to implement it.”

The Deputy Minister of Energy stated that less than 4 million cubic meters of water has entered Iran from the 820 million cubic meters contained in the Helmand Treaty in the current water year. And the figures provided by the Afghan side regarding the current water year situation and the amount of water in our country, visit the upstream measuring station of Kajaki Dam based on the mechanism provided in the 1351 agreement, which has not been provided to us so far.

The Deputy Minister of Water and Wastewater Affairs continued: “The problem of supplying water to Iran has intensified since April of last year, when the Kamal Khan diversion dam, 70 km from the border of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the main bed of the Helmand River in Nimroz province, was put into operation.”

He added: the Afghan side about 950 million cubic meters of Helmand River water flow, which in the absence of Kamal Khan Dam would have flowed naturally and historically to the Hamuns and the Sistan region, and from which the drinking and agricultural water of the Sistan region would be supplied, to Shoohzar Goodarzeh deviated and turned it into brine, which we objected to.

Javanbakht then said: “This action of the Afghan side has deprived Iran of receiving its legal water rights, as well as the drying up of Hamoun International Wetlands and the occurrence of severe negative economic, social and environmental consequences in the region.”

At the end, the Deputy Minister of Energy for Water and Abfa expressed hope for the full implementation of the legal obligations of the Afghan side, said: By conveying the message of the meeting to higher officials, the Afghan side should take the necessary action to hand over the legal status of Iran in Helmand.