Mohammad Javad Khosravi, the mayor of District 22 of Tehran, presented expert documentation in the 442nd session of the Islamic Council of Tehran, discussing the plans and efforts to save Chitgar Forest Park from the crisis of tree dehydration. This crisis, which he stated has roots going back 15 years, is being resolved through the provision of water supply budgets and practical measures.
History of the Crisis and Urban Management Efforts
Khosravi explained in this session that the water rights for Chitgar Park were previously 500 liters per second, but have dropped to zero in recent years. This reduction in water has weakened the trees and led to an outbreak of wood-boring beetles, resulting in the drying of 150 trees. The district mayor emphasized that the infected trees needed to be removed from the park, but this action was delayed due to fear of accusations.
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Current Actions for Reviving Chitgar
Continuing, Khosravi referred to current actions and said: "We are removing the infected trees from the park with the help of natural resources, and by the end of this year, 30,000 new trees will be planted in the park. Despite past problems, there is currently no shortage of funds and budgets, and all resources are available to park management." He also reported on the revival of wells and the use of treated wastewater to supply water to the park.
Mehdi Pirhadi, the head of the Health, Environment, and Urban Services Commission of the council, also emphasized the necessity of securing water resources for forest parks, stating: "The water supply budget in Tehran has reached 24 trillion tomans over the past few years, which is the result of scientific actions and planning. These efforts are unprecedented in the last 60 years."
Criticism and Reactions
Members of the city council raised their criticisms and questions in this session. Mehdi Aghrariyan, the head of the council's legal oversight committee, described the current state of forest parks as an environmental disaster and called for accountability from urban management regarding it. Seyyed Ahmad Alavi, the head of the council's tourism committee, also stressed the need for a more detailed report on the status of the parks and called for transparency in urban management issues.
Nasser Amani, the head of the council's human resources committee, pointed out the need for the CEO of the Parks Organization to be accountable and asked him to explain the reasons for the trees' drying.
Despite the existing criticisms and challenges, the mayor of District 22 confidently referred to the revival of Chitgar Forest Park, highlighting the expert actions and planning undertaken, and emphasized the urban management's determination to preserve and expand green spaces.
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