China, Iran discuss $10 bln water finance package project

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 11/Trend M. Moezzi As Iran develops a comprehensive national water plan, it negotiates with China to secure a $10 billion finance package for below dam irrigation and drainage networks. Energy Minister, Majid Namjoo, said that's just one of the major water projects his ministry's working on, Mehr news agency reports. Another key water project is the pipeline that transfers water from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran to the country's central regions. That water pipeline is to follow the same path as previously laid oil pipelines. Most part of financing designed for the pipeline would come from the sale of stocks that can be assigned to the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters as its contractor. Although Namjoo has dismissed concerns and questions about the government's project, it is a controversial one. Iran's Supreme Audit Court and another supervisory body, the Iranian General Inspection Office (GIO), have asked the Energy Ministry for documents on the Caspian Sea water transfer project. Inaugurated in the Mazandaran Province's town of Sari, the pipeline is to deliver water southeast to the Semnan Province in its first phase. Once completed, the project would send 500 million cubic meters of desalinated water from the Caspian to central Iran annually. The comprehensive water plan also adds 2 million hectares to agricultural lands, getting water to it. Provincial governors will be given special authority to move this project forward. At present, there are $73 billion worth of proposed water projects in Iran. Their fulfillment will depend on the administration and Majlis' (parliament) close cooperation, Namjoo said.