Minudasht Governor: Power to 20 and Drinking Water to 18 Villages Cut Off Amid Flooding / About 250 Hectares of Saffron Fields and 200 Hectares of Farms Damaged / 45 Hectares of Tobacco Land and 20 Livestock Units Also Among Affected Areas

Minudasht Governor reports flood damage to 200 homes and 450 hectares of farmland, and says the road to 14 villages remains blocked.

Ambassador Arjan: The governor of Minodasht informed about the flood damage to 200 houses and 450 hectares of agricultural land and said that the road to 14 villages is still blocked.

Alireza Mostafalu today, in the Golestan province crisis management working group meeting, referring to the extensive damages caused by the recent rains in Minodasht city, said: during these rains, the highest amount of rain recorded in some areas reached 147 mm in Kafe Bala Castle, 120 mm in Dozin village and 96 mm in Dozin city. Rains that have been unprecedented in the past years.

Referring to the presence of Golestan governor's civil affairs coordination deputy, representatives of the people of the region, and managers of executive bodies in Minodasht for the field survey of damages, Minodasht governor added: In the crisis management meeting of the city, the extent of damages in different sectors was examined and the necessity of speeding up relief and reopening of blocked routes was emphasized.

Stating that the section of communication roads is one of the most important areas affected in this incident, he said: In the first stage, the connection of 20 villages in the upstream and central areas of the city was cut off, and with the round-the-clock efforts of the road forces, the access route to 6 villages has been reopened. However, the communication road of 14 villages is still cut off and the residents of these areas have to travel three times the main road to reach the city center.

Referring to the damages in the agricultural sector, Mustafalou stated: destruction and serious damage to about 250 hectares of saffron lands and 200 hectares of rapeseed fields have been damaged. Also, 45 hectares of tobacco lands and 20 livestock units are also included in the list of damaged areas and units, the amount of damage of which needs to be investigated more closely.

He continued: In the flood of April this year, about 400 hectares of agricultural lands were damaged in the city, which was organized using the crisis management facilities of the province and the implementation of corrective measures. But the recent rains have once again damaged these lands. About 100 kilometers of roads between farms, which were repaired in the summer, have been damaged again.

He added: drinking water was cut off in 18 villages, and the water problem in 9 villages has been solved so far. The initial estimate of the damage caused to the water and sewage sector is more than 25 billion Tomans.

Pointing to the damages caused to the residential units, Mustafalou said: According to the initial reports of the mayors and villagers, about 200 residential units have suffered surface flooding or serious damage. The amount of damage to these units has not yet been finalized and the evaluation groups are investigating their condition.

He listed the damage to urban and rural roads as well as flood-proof structures and technical facilities related to natural resources and water sources as other consequences of the flood and said: the telephone connection of 6 villages has also been cut, and with the establishment of electricity in the remaining two villages, the follow-up will continue to solve their communication problem.

The governor of Minodasht also stated about the human casualties of this incident: According to the reports received, three people were missing at first, and so far the body of one person has been found by the forces of the Red Crescent and one person is alive. Therefore, at the time of reporting, one person was still missing.

Emphasizing the need to speed up the reconstruction of the affected areas, Mustafalou asked the crisis management officials of the province to deploy the necessary machinery and facilities in the city so that the reopening of the roads of the remaining 14 villages and the organization of agricultural lands are prioritized.

Referring to the experience of rebuilding the lands damaged in the April flood, he noted: In the previous stage, by using the crisis management facilities of the province and without injecting new financial resources, the necessary measures were taken to organize the lands, and it is expected that this time, with the provision of machinery and support from the province, the process of dealing with damages and the return of conditions to the normal state will speed up.