In your opinion, what were the reasons for the occurrence of such a large flood in Golestan province? And does this seem natural considering the amount of rainfall in this region?

The floods in Golestan had many reasons; both natural causes and human interference in the structure of nature led to such devastating floods. Of course, the rainfall was more than previous years. Seventy percent of the rainfall that should have occurred during a year, happened in just one or two days. But this was not the main reason for the floods. The meteorology department of Golestan had issued warnings for the upcoming rain ten days prior. Precautionary measures should have been taken. However, nothing was done. The governor, who was supposed to form a flood crisis committee, went on vacation for Nowruz and left the people to deal with the floods alone.

Currently, there are three major dams in the Turkmen Desert: Golestan Dam, Boostan Dam, and Voshmgir Dam. Before the revolution, only Voshmgir Dam existed in the Turkmen Desert, which provided water for the lands where grains were cultivated. After the revolution, two more dams were built, which changed the climate of the region and dried up the rivers. With the drying up of the rivers, the method of cultivation changed, resulting in the closure of about 16 factories in Gonbad – where workers used to work seasonally for 6 months or sometimes 10 months (as in the oil extraction factory). The machinery of these factories, which had been purchased before the revolution, was also sold. Even the agricultural lands were seized from their rightful owners and the usurpers used the water from their dams to irrigate the seized lands.

In any case, provincial officials used to release the water from these three dams that I mentioned in a controlled and gradual manner before heavy rains, so that the sudden flooding would not occur at night. But they did not do this. Why didn’t they do it? Everything is because of the hidden interests and profits that are involved. Please note that firstly, the water in these dams is supposed to flow in the Atrek and Gorgan rivers during normal times. By creating these dams, they dried up the turbulent rivers that were the beauty of the Turkmen Sahra nature and the source of irrigation for Turkmen lands. They turned these once turbulent rivers, which may have been around for millions of years in that region, into dry passages with layers of sediment and marshes. Weeds and shrubs grew on them and insects flew over them. They didn’t even bother to make them navigable so that the spring rains could easily move them and eagerly flow to the Caspian Sea. Yes

This time, they intended to sell the water. That’s why they didn’t release the water from the dams, so as not to incur financial losses. They didn’t even fix the broken gate of the dam and the water intake. The management was zero. The result was a flood; people’s farmlands were submerged, their homes were flooded, and people lost their lives.

When you look at the factors of floods, you see the hand of human intervention behind it. This same hand, in reality, belongs to the responsible authorities and companies affiliated with the representative of the Supreme Leader in Golestan province. They cut down trees that were preventing floods and diverting water, and sold them for profit, leaving the land vulnerable to floods. This is how the devastating floods occurred. It is worth mentioning that according to the World Bank report, the average annual destruction of “Caspian forests” in Iran is 45,000 hectares, which is equivalent to four and three-tenths percent of the total forest area in this region and three percent of the total forest area in the country.

Dear Mr. Dia, according to statistical reports, many people in Golestan province are considered to be among the deprived class. Please provide details about these deprivations and how events such as floods will affect the livelihood of these deprived people.

According to a report presented by the Islamic Consultative Assembly in 95, about 30% of the population of Golestan province are living below the poverty line. Unfortunately, the poverty rate in Turkmen areas is higher compared to other parts of the province. Turkmen people mostly live in the semi-arid regions of Golestan province. Their main source of income is agriculture and animal husbandry. The lands, which were completely flooded, left around 400,000 hectares of arable land unproductive. This means a year of hardship for farmers, a year of unpaid labor, and a year of living without income. People in the Turkmen desert are waiting for their lands to dry up so they can have weddings for their children after the harvest season. In fact, life and movement come alive after the harvest season. But this year, all dreams have been shattered.

The submergence of lands means the submergence of the entire economy of the region. It is not just the landowners who are left empty-handed; the daily wage laborer who earns his nightly bread by working on the lands becomes unemployed. The truck driver who transports goods also becomes unemployed. It affects the lives of many.

In addition, many people in the villages make a living with their livestock. This does not mean that everyone owns countless herds; rather, most families in the villages keep two or three milking cows for themselves and their simple lives revolve around selling their milk. But this flood took their cows and sheep with it, and many people lost even their smallest source of local income.

Unfortunately, the flood destroyed all the agricultural and economic infrastructure of the region. The estimated damage is over one trillion tomans.

During the flood, one of the solutions for evacuating the floodwaters was to detonate parts of the Golestan railway line. In your opinion, what does this issue indicate about the deficiencies in infrastructure?

Coincidentally, this issue turned into a media debate and argument between the honorable President, Mr. Rouhani, and the honorable commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Mr. Mohammad Jafari. Mr. Jafari, who was on a trip to the flood-stricken areas of Turkmen Sahra at the same time as the President, while riding a boat, said that the railway line should be blown up so that the waters can pass and go. But the President criticized him, saying that such decisions cannot be made from a boat and should be discussed in a government meeting. Finally, with the intensification of protests by the people of Agh Ghala and, of course, with a significant delay, the officials blew up the railway line and we saw that the opinion of the person who was giving his opinion from the boat became more practical. Yes, the flood route was opened, but it went towards other villages and cities.

This situation shows that even when creating a railway line, no one has thought about these days. Once again, we see that the problem is a management problem. Managers have a very weak and non-specialized future outlook and prediction of natural disasters. The reason for this is that in the selection of managers, political and factional relationships always prevail over expertise and skills, and as a result, the people suffer.

How do you evaluate the performance of relevant government and public agencies, both before and after the occurrence of a flood, in crisis management?

Before the flood, when government agencies were in hibernation, they didn’t even take the flood warnings seriously. There was practically no management. People spontaneously identified water exit points to prevent water from entering the cities.

The resistance of the people of Koomush Depe (Gomishan) is a remarkable example. Scenes where people carry sandbags on their shoulders, trying to create a barrier around the city, are reminiscent of the days of World War I and II, and the unity of the people to defend their city against enemies.

Kumush Depe is originally one of the two eastern cities of the Turkmen Desert and is close to the Caspian Sea. Due to its distance from the source of the flood, there was a few days’ opportunity to take preventive measures for it. If the officials had not neglected it, if enough excavators were made available to the people and several channels were dug along the outskirts of the city, it would have been possible to direct the water towards the dried up Kumush Depe marsh. But unfortunately, during those critical days, no effective action was taken and the sand barriers that the people had built around the city were not able to resist the flood.

Of course, municipalities had very limited resources, as they provided mechanical equipment such as bulldozers to the people; but what can a few machines do against a flood that suddenly engulfs a city? Of course, after a few days when the cities of Koomush Depe (Gomishan) and Agh Ghala fell to the flood, the army and the Revolutionary Guards were stationed in the cities; but the flood had settled in so much that it was not possible for the army and the Revolutionary Guards to drive it out. Houses were left in the middle of the flood. In a city like Koomush Depe (Gomishan), which is close to the Caspian Sea, there is no slope that would carry the water to the sea. These waters are still there and it will take a long time for them to dry up. These waters gradually destroy the foundations of houses and for this reason, people are in extreme worry and anxiety. There is

Currently, after about a month, how has the assistance been provided in terms of quantity and quality, and is the current level of assistance sufficient?

After the flood, the first people who rushed to help the Turkmen were the Azerbaijani brothers, followed by other Iranian ethnic groups. In the first few days, there was a severe shortage of medicine and food, but later with the help and cooperation of the Turkmen people and then with the assistance of the government, the problems of food and medicine gradually decreased. Red Crescent from countries such as Turkey also sent aid to the Turkmen desert. However, although this aid reached the Golestan province, it is not clear what happened afterwards and why the aid did not reach the Turkmen. There is a strange inconsistency in the distribution of aid and many of the aid sent to the flood victims does not reach them. People are complaining because many of the aid packages are emptied at night in warehouses under the supervision of officials and disappear the next morning without any explanation.

What do you think are the main short-term and long-term needs of the people affected by the floods in Golestan?

The flood has brought snakes, insects, and animal carcasses into the cities. In some areas, there is a foul smell. With the receding water, immediate action must be taken to clean up the mud and debris left behind by the flood. People are extremely afraid of contagious diseases. To control the spread of diseases in the region, extensive spraying must be done and lime should be distributed among the people for disinfection. Additionally, medical measures must be taken to prevent epidemics and contagious diseases such as cholera and skin diseases.

Facilities and privileges should be provided for students who have fallen behind in their studies. A special allocation for university entrance exams should be given to students who will be taking the exams in the near future and to those whose end-of-term exams will directly affect their university entrance exams.

On the other hand, it is necessary to provide financial assistance to poor and low-income families. Help should be given to those who have lost their lands and livestock. Those whose homes have been damaged should be given long-term interest-free loans.

In short, life there has been paralyzed and people are in dire need of strong support for at least a year in every aspect.

Which regions, cities, or villages are still in a critical situation? So that aid organizations should prioritize them in their work.

The two cities of Aq Qala and Komush Depe (Gomishan) have suffered the most damage. As mentioned before, Aq Qala was completely surrounded by water due to the railway line and its proximity to the Voshmigir Dam. Komush Depe (Gomishan) also turned into a flood shelter due to its uneven terrain, and it was attacked by floods from the east, where they set up camp. These two cities require a lot of attention. The village of Aq Qala and the Eidgah of Aq Qala are among the areas that have been hit the hardest by the floods.

If there is any point you have in mind, please do mention it at the end.

We must learn from these bitter experiences. People will not easily forget this calamity and will not forgive those responsible. New storms are on the way and people cannot bear another flood.

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us.