The representative of Kerman in the Supreme Council of Provinces in Iran has said that slum dwelling has turned into a major problem in the city of Kerman.
Mehrdad Aminifar told ILNA, two-thirds of the population of Baft a town in Kerman province, or roughly 40,000 people out of 60,000 have migrated to the provincial capital and another town. The reasons behind this big population movement are , “lack of jobs, schools, healthcare and entertainment…and all these problems have been compounded leading to 45,000 slum dwellers in the city of Kerman”.
But Aminifar has also singled out environmental factors such as lack of water for the mass migration. The Jazmoorian River in the area has completely dried up and dust storms have become a regular occurrence.
Iran has been suffering from drought for almost a decade, made worse by water mismanagement. This has already led to large-scale migration from hotter and drier parts of the country.
Aminifar also added that many residents have taken initiative to plant trees but profiteers have been cutting older trees.