Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, February 28, 2020—Heavy rainfalls in 14 provinces is the latest disaster following the coronavirus outbreak across Iran, earthquakes in northwest and south-central Iran, and a locust invasion in the country’s southern provinces. All of this has brought further suffering and tiredness for the poor people of Iran. Each of these disasters are multiplied under the suppressive and corrupt mullahs’ dictatorship and It increases the people’s difficulties.
According to state-run media, roads to hundreds of cities and villages are blocked, and electricity and drinking water are cutoff in many other areas. The city gas feed in some districts are completely out of service.
“The occurrence of flood had blocked the communication ways of more than hundred villages in this province… the electricity of 37 provinces and the drinking water of three villages are cutoff as well as the the city gas stream,” said Agha Mirzayi, Director General of the Lorestan Province Crisis Management Department, to the IRNA news agency on February 26.
Furthermore, locals are reporting floods causing severe damages blocking the road connecting the cities of Khorramabad and Nourabad.
On February 25 IRNA reported flooding in seven areas and streets of Nourabad and central areas of Delfan, another city in Lorestan Province.
On the same day the Fars News agency reported of Nourabad being completely surrounded by floodwaters.
Floods, earthquake, coronavirus and locusts
What is happening to Iran under the mullahs’ dictatorship?
It is worth noting that in March and April of 2019, 25 provinces across Iran were exposed devastating floods. Tehran and Alborz provinces were on the verge of being engulfed by floods. Two thirds of the city in Aqqala in Golestan Province was under water. 12 other villages of this province were affected by floods.
While people continue to suffer from previous floods, a new flood crisis is ravaging many parts of Iran. We have not forgotten that the true cause of these floods are none other than the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). In the Qoran Gate of Shiraz, south-central Iran, more than 200 cars and their passengers were literally thrown aside due to flood’s tremendous force.
Floods are predictable
Even though the mullahs try to disguise themselves by diminishing their role and pretend that floods cannot be avoided, precise meteorology technology available in the 21 century renders this claim as nothing but misleading. Dangerous rainfalls are predictable days in advance through meteorological and satellite map analysis.
Floods are natural phenomenon and predictable with knowledge about the increase of rainfalls during the spring season and the melting of mountain snow. It happens when the earth, trees and plants cannot absorb the entire amount of rainfall. With this knowledge, floods can be controlled through specific measures.
Solutions to floods in Iran
Preventing floods is one the most obvious tasks of any government. Specific measures and infrastructure include reforestation, floods dams, reservoirs and flood control channels, all used to control and minimize the damage. It is notable that riverbeds rise year by year due to floods. Two methods to address this issue are either dredging the riverbeds and waterways, or adding to the height of the flood dams. Of course, forests and rangelands need to be restored to strengthen flood dams.
Why flood disasters reoccur?
The answer is clear. A government that misuses assets of the Iranian people for domestic crackdown and international terrorism, and has based its policy on plundering all of Iran, has never sought to protect people from natural disasters.
In March 2019, even state-run outlets said the reason why floods reoccur is that in the last half century (during mullahs’ rule over Iran), deforestation and selling lands with forests at extremely low prices has expanded, while vegetation and meadows are also being destroyed. Watershed areas are left behind and not managed. The country’s rangelands, far beyond than their capacity, are being used to graze livestock. The rivers are not dredged, flood dams are not repaired, and their height has not been increased. An uncontrolled high number of flood dam construction and structural changes downstream river areas by the IRGC are among the main reasons behind Iran’s flood disaster. A high increase in construction activities on river banks as various governmental factions and high officials seek profits should also be added to reasons behind this dilemma.
Destroying Iran
The spring 2019 floods were a clear warning that Iran’s infrastructure must be repaired and riverbeds dredged. This year we are witnessing floods even prior to the spring season and it will only result in more people going hungry and becoming homeless. When we add the coronavirus crisis to all this, the Iranian people are truly in a very tragic situation.
Arrogance of regime leaders in dealing floods
The mullahs’ regime has done nothing in the past year to manage the flood problem. Instead of being accountable its tactic are focused on cloaking the truth, negligence and downplaying catastrophes such as floods, earthquakes, the coronavirus and locusts attacks.
The following report from popular sources was posted on Tuesday, February 25, and sheds light on the scope of the disaster. Residents of the Bataki Alshatr village in Lorestan province, surrounded by floodwater and their lives are in danger, had called a senior regime official to inform him about the blockade. The official responded, “Tell whoever you voted for to come to your rescue.”
If the mullahs’ dictatorship in Iran claims to be surprised by the coronavirus (which is of course a lie and everybody knows the IRGC’s Mahan Air flights to China was the cause of the coronavirus transfer to Iran), what do they have to say about the floods? They had a year to repair the infrastructures and they took no action. Why?
There is only one answer. The mullahs’ regime ruling Iran that has destroyed the country. For Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, Iran, people’s lives, the country’s resources and the people’s future has absolutely no value. Iran is a land under siege by the mullahs’ regime. It is the responsibility of every Iranian to not accept this great injustice and to save this country from the mullahs’ regime.
