While water shortage is not a new phenomenon in Iran, some specialists have said that this issue has a 17 year history. A report last week indicated that this shortage is not confined to Tehran but to a total of 12 large cities in the country. During the last few months a number of reports had warned that various Iranian cities faced a water shortage and were struggling with its consequences. Social networks in Iran had launched a virtual campaign to educate people to conserve on their water usage to avoid an extensive crisis.

Poor planning, populist policies and drought have contributed to a critical water shortage. The water that disappeared - a result largely of mismanagement and overuse rather than drought - is stored at the Zayandeh Roud dam and diverted for domestic and industrial consumption, leaving the city s 11 river bridges standing as symbols of what is missing