Iran Daily - Kerman Qanats Dying - 12/01/05

Iran Daily - Panorama - 12/01/05: "Kerman Qanats Dying

Reasons behind destruction of qanats (aqueducts) in Kerman Plain were put up for debate in an international conference recently held in the capital city of the southern province, IRNA reported.
Speaking at the event, a groundwater expert with Kerman Regional Water Company asserted that a 39-meter fall in the water tables during 1964-2004 had led to deterioration of the majority of qanats in Kerman Plain.
Hossein Zeraatkar revealed that at present, the situation has forced locals to dig deep wells to obtain water.
Recalling that there were no deep wells prior to 1951, the official stated that the 40-year-long decline in the water level caused all semi-deep wells to be replaced by deep ones.
Zeraatkar believes that deep wells have adverse impact on the quality of water in certain spots such as Ekhtiarabad, Zangiabad, Hojjatabad and Rabat.
He cited statistics based on which over 1,000 underground water reservoirs including wells, springs and qanats in the plain generated close to 390 million cubic meters of water a year in the past.
The expert said that some 88 percent of the amount was used for irrigating farmlands, 2 percent by industrial units and the remaining as potable water.
An increase in the number of deep wells and a decline in groundwater level will cause more qanats to dry up, Zeraatkar warned.
He blamed excessive exploitation for reducing qanats from 30 in 1982 to 24 at present.
?At present, there are no qanats in the center of Kerman Plain and the remaining are located on the periphery of Joupar, Mahan and Baghin highlands,? the expert expanded.
He regretted that the dried qanats cannot be revived under any circumstances."