Iran cuts flow of al-Wind River
al-Wind river, a move which has angered the Iraqi farmers and citizens.
Protesters demand Iran to let out the water of the river, saying their fertile land turned into barren land because of the repeated cuts and acute shortage in the river's flow during the past few years.
Recently, dozens of Iraqi farmers blocked a border crossing with Iran in protest at its diversion of a river which helps to irrigate one of their country's main agricultural regions. The protesters blocked the entry of nine busloads of Iranian pilgrims from the border post of Munzuria, 200 kilometres east of Baghdad.
Al-Wind river’s flow has been largely decreased since March and that the Iraqi agricultural lands in Khanaqin, Diyala province, have gone dry. Diyala is the breadbasket of Iraq.
The water flowing into Iraq is estimated at 0.25 square meters per second that has massively damaged the environment, sheep and agricultural sector in the region, according to the measurements of Khanaqin chamber of water resources.
“With the coming of summer with a high temperature, Khanaqin needs 6-7 square meters of water flow per second to irrigate the agricultural lands, gardens and supplying drinking water, Tahir Muhammad head of chamber of Khanaqin water resources told PUKmedia.
The 50-km-long tributary of al-Wind river flows from Iran and enters Iraq's Diyala province through the Khanaqin city near the border, before it flows into Diyala tributary, one of the five major tributaries that flow into Tigris River. Khanaqin was a key military post in the 1980-1988 war between Iran and Iraq.
