July 22, 2016
A battle over limited water supplies broke out in a small rural town in southern Iran, leaving at least one resident dead and about 30 injured, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported Tuesday.
ILNA said 15 people were arrested after fighting broke out between supporters and opponents of a project to allot water to a steel mill in the town of Boldaji in Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari province. The town has a population of about 11,000.
ILNA said several cars were set afire by those opposing the project.
Some locals opposed the water transfer because they fear the community does not have enough water to meet both their needs and the mill’s needs.
Vast parts of Iran are experiencing a long drought, which is aggravated by excessive pumping of water from underground aquifers, many of which are now dangerously low.
