The Iranian parliament has called Sunday on President Mohammad Khatami to make an emergency debate on the drought in his cabinet sessions, a parliamentary source said.
In a letter, read out in the chamber by Nasser Khalqi who is a member of the Majlis presiding board, the signatories said "this year also the drought is threatening parts of the country. We request you to order an emergency debate on the issue," according to the official Iranian news agency (IRNA).
They said the parliament is ready to help the government in this respect.
The Energy Ministry warned Friday that the nation is facing for a third consecutive year severe drought as water levels at dams and reservoirs continue to fall.
Deputy Energy Minister Ghloam-Reza Manoucheri told IRNA that the levels at dams were continuing to fall, indicating "the persistence of an unprecedented drought."
A UN fact-finding team reported last July that the country was on the verge of a full-fledged disaster, as the Islamic republic accepted international aid for only the second time since 1979-Islamic Revolution.
Hundreds of thousands of head of livestock died as Iran was struck by a second straight year of drought, and millions of people are thought to have been displaced.
Only three of Iran's 28 provinces had enough drinking water, according to estimates, cited by IRNA – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
