Sajadrud Dam: Forest Destruction and Displacement of People / Forced Migration, with Homes and Lands Set to Be Submerged

With the construction of the Sajadrud Dam, vast agricultural lands will be submerged, several villages may be flooded, and a way of life that may have taken centuries to form will be lost, without archaeological surveys.

Ambassador Arjan; Hassan Zahoori - The villagers of Bandapi, East of Babol, have once again gathered in one of the mosques in the region to express their opposition to the construction of Sajjarod Dam. They hope that their voices will be heard by the governor of Mazandaran. A voice that, according to themselves, they have brought to the authorities many times, but they have not yet received a suitable answer.

Representatives of the residents of the surrounding villages have come to say that they are against the construction of a dam, which, according to them, will submerge agricultural lands, houses and part of the historical heritage and life of several generations. There is no sign of hope in many of their faces. Some of these farmers have said before that they are not willing to give up their ancestral lands even at the cost of their lives.

Despite these oppositions, the Sajjadroud dam is going to be constructed soon; A project that can change the lives of a large number of farmers, while according to the residents, the consent of none of them has been taken to hand over their lands.

Within the scope of this project, a sand mine can be seen; Where there used to be a forest. Apparently, the Sajjadroud dam is also supposed to be built in the same area and in an opening that blocks the river's path. This part of the forest has already been destroyed and the construction of the dam can lead to the destruction of more parts of the nature of the region.

Mustafa Mirtbar, the governor of Babol, in defense of the necessity of implementing this project, said that the bed of Sajjarod becomes completely dry on some summer days and no water flows in it. According to him, storing water in the winter can provide the possibility of using it in the summer, and the goal of the project is to store water for consumption in the same region, not to transfer it to other provinces.

Sajjarod or Sajrod is one of the rivers of Mazandaran. This river can have a powerful flow during flood periods by carrying stones, pebbles and sediments. The residents of the region are worried that the intensity of the flow and the amount of sediments in the river will affect the stability of the dam structure in the long run.

On the other hand, Babol is one of the regions with numerous water dams in the north of Iran, and Eastern Bandpi is also famous for these traditional water storage structures. The area of ​​some dams in the region ranges from five thousand square meters to 700 hectares. A part of these dams may also go under water with the implementation of the Sajjadroud dam project.

Dams are the result of the long-standing experience of farmers to store water and use it in periods of scarcity. The continuity of agriculture and greenness of this region shows that this traditional method, in addition to meeting human needs, has also been compatible with the natural conditions of the region.

But with the construction of Sajjarod Dam, extensive agricultural lands will be flooded, several villages may be submerged, and the connection of a number of other villages with the current routes will be cut off. In this way, the life that may have been formed in this area for centuries is exposed to fundamental changes; That too, in the area where comprehensive archeological investigations have not been carried out yet.

Eastern Bandpi is one of the historical and ancient areas around Babylon. However, based on the research done for this report, it seems that before the project was implemented and the lands were flooded, the necessary archaeological studies were not done in this area. Meanwhile, Sajjadroud Dam has permits from the Ministry of Energy and the Environmental Protection Organization, but according to the producer of this report, no agreement or permit has been issued from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the Archaeological Research Institute.

However, the most important issue for the residents of the region is the fate of their lives and lands. They have repeatedly expressed their opposition to losing their homes and farmland, but the project is still on track.

Among the supporters of the construction of Sajjadroud Dam, local officials and representatives of Babol namely Hassan Hassan Netaj and Ahmad Fatemi are also present in the parliament. Ahmed Fatemi, the representative of the people of Babol, explains the measures taken to finance this project, saying: "The discussion of Sajjarod or Sajrod is the product of the work of all the current officials of the city." He also informs about the allocation of 80 billion tomans for the year 1405 in the Consolidation Commission, the follow-up of 200 billion tomans from the place of bonds through the Ministry of Energy and the governor's promise for 1,000 billion tomans. According to Fatemi, the project is going to be launched soon.

These statements are made while, according to the residents, the consent of the residents of the villages that are at risk of drowning has not yet been obtained. The same issue raises the question of what is the position of the voice of the people who are going to pay its direct cost in deciding on a project with such consequences.

In dam construction projects, usually for the relocation of the residents of flooded areas, their consent is obtained and land is provided to them. However, the implementation of such a strategy in the forest areas of northern Iran faces serious difficulties; Because a large part of usable land has been allocated to agriculture and there is no suitable alternative land for many households.

In such a situation, the provision of compensation land may lead to the destruction of more parts of the forest. Therefore, the consequences of the Sajjadroud dam may not be limited to the dam's reservoir area, and to compensate for the lost land, more pressure will be placed on Hyrkan forests; Forests that are about 40 million years old.

The experience of building the Lefur dam is also an example of the concerns in this field. According to the residents, after the implementation of the project, some residents of the area could not see the promises made. Others, who received land compensation, settled in lands that were previously forests.

In another part of his statement, Ahmad Fatemi says that he understands the concerns of environmental activists about the Sajjadroud Dam and promises to hold a meeting with the CEO and General Manager of Mazandaran Regional Water Company and environmental activists. He emphasizes that the implementation of the project must be accompanied by environmental considerations and annexes, otherwise, it will be dealt with and prevent the continuation of the work.

However, by the time of this report, no such meeting had been held. Except for the meeting that Hassan Netaj had with some environmental activists, there was no effective opportunity to present and examine the criticisms of the project's opponents.

Concerns about the environmental consequences of the Sajjadroud dam also remain. By blocking the natural course of the river, this dam will change the flow of water downstream; But there is no clear information about the environmental assessment studies of the project. What has been announced is the promise of planting trees instead of cut trees; A promise that cannot be judged on its effectiveness without knowing the selected species, the planting location and the monitoring mechanism for its implementation. The experience of some other projects has also shown that sometimes the planted trees were not compatible with the climatic conditions of the region, or part of the planting commitments were never implemented.

Another issue is the effect of the dam on the status of Rudbast lagoon, known as Babolsar water lily lagoon. Sajjadroud is one of the main branches of Babolroud and Babolroud finally flows into this lagoon. Therefore, any reduction or change in the water flow of Sajjadroud can affect the amount of water entering the river and the condition of the downstream ecosystem. However, it is not yet clear how the wetland rights will be provided after the implementation of the project.

The sum of these concerns shows that the possible consequences of the Sajjadroud dam are not limited to the flooding of agricultural lands and the displacement of villagers; From changing the natural course of the river and the impact on the downstream wetland to the destruction of the Hyrcanian forests and the possibility of the disappearance of unknown historical monuments, these are all issues that require detailed and transparent investigation.

Despite these uncertainties, the supporters of the project still insist on its implementation; In the situation where the environmental consequences of dam construction have highlighted the necessity of a detailed evaluation of each project and the examination of alternative solutions.

Finally, the main question remains unanswered: Can a project that affects people's lives, agricultural land, forest, and historical heritage of an area go ahead without obtaining the consent of the residents and clarifying its environmental and archaeological consequences?