Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 7, 1997

At six in the morning we went to the airport and immediately flew to Khuzestan. Mohsen [Hashemi, Head of the President's Office] and Messrs. [Hamid] Mirzadeh, [Head of the Plan and Budget Organization], Mohammad [Hashemi, Executive Deputy of the President], [Bijan Namdar] Zanganeh, [Minister of Energy], were with us. At Dezful Air Base, there was an official welcome. We immediately flew by helicopters toward the site of the Karkheh Dam—for the ceremony marking the start of operation of the dam's first stage. We visited the various sections of the dam. By using the dam's upper cofferdam, the possibility of storing 600 million cubic meters of water—that is, three times the current capacity of the Karaj Dam—has been created, and now 150 million cubic meters of water has collected. They opened the gates and we witnessed the discharge of 360 cubic meters of water per second, which was a very magnificent scene and we enjoyed it greatly. Then, for the operation and visit, they closed the large gate. The regulated gate, which gives 60 cubic meters of water per second, was set. It was arranged that from now on this same 60 cubic meters of water would be open, which is currently good for the region's farmers and can also be increased.

Then we moved on the dam lake by boats. The length of the lake has become 10 kilometers and will ultimately become 60 kilometers. We visited the method of construction of the dam body and the spillway and the site of the power plant and the water transfer tunnel, and we listened to the explanations of Engineer [Mahmoud] Hejazi, [the project's executive director], and Sardar [Hassan] Danaei-Far, [Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters].

At the inauguration ceremony, we heard the explanations of Engineer Zanganeh, [Minister of Energy]. As the main body of the dam gradually rises, the upper cofferdam also becomes part of the dam and the lake's capacity gradually increases, and at the time of the dam's operation the testing program is also carried out; it is a very great work. I too spoke about the importance of implementing the dam by domestic forces and the important effects of harnessing Khuzestan's waters. By helicopters, from the air we visited the irrigation networks under construction below the dam. It is planned that gradually 300 thousand hectares of the lands below the dam will come under the networks' coverage.

We flew to the site of the great Gotvand Dam. Hearing the report of Engineer Haddadi and Engineer Zanganeh about the country's water harnessing projects and the program to build 7 great dams on the Karun and the features of this dam with a height of 175 meters and a capacity of 4.5 billion cubic meters of water, and the unveiling of the plaque, the ceremony for the start of the dam's implementation took place. I too spoke. A group of the people of Gotvand had gathered to thank and to request that Gotvand be made a county and that the dam be named after Gotvand and not Shushtar. I too spoke about the dam's effect on the region's economy.

We flew to the site of the Karun Dam in the northeast of Izeh. We went part of the way by car. Because at the dam site there was no suitable place for the helicopters to land that the pilots could see. After prayers, lunch, and a rest, we visited the sections of the dam under construction. It is very huge; especially the large halls that have been dug under the mountains for the power plants and transformers and valves, which involve nearly one and a half million cubic meters of rock removal.

We saw the program of lining the roofs and stone walls of the halls, which is interesting. Then I gave the order for the diversion of the Karun water, which was also done interestingly and magnificently. At the gathering of the managers, we heard the report of Mr. Zanganeh and Engineer [Habibollah] Bi-Taraf. At a cost of 200 billion tomans, the dam and power plant are being built. I too gave an encouraging speech.

We flew toward the Marun Dam. We were in flight for more than an hour; altogether today a lot of time passed in flying by helicopters. We visited the various sections of the dam. It is very huge; with a height of 170 meters, it is the country's tallest earth dam. With a capacity of one billion and 200 million cubic meters.

From inside one of the water diversion tunnels, which is now intended for water discharge, a lot of water is leaking—about five cubic meters per second—which has worried many. It has come about because of the consultant's mistake, but the Ministry of Energy believes that it can be easily compensated; that is, after the water goes down, they will seal the tunnel. From today, when the operation begins with the release of more water, it will be emptied within four months and repaired in two months.

At the top of the dam, there was the operation ceremony. We heard a complete report on the amount of water supply by Engineer [Mohammad-Reza] Shamsai, the Director-General of Water. He said that the total extractable water of [Khuzestan] Province is about 34 billion cubic meters of water, which is harnessed and distributed by 35 dams. More than ten dams have been built and 14 dams are under construction and the rest are under study, and we will have 12 thousand megawatts of hydroelectric power.

I too gave a detailed speech about the importance of the Marun Dam project, which has caused the development of 55 thousand hectares of land in Behbahan, Ramhormoz, Omidieh, Ramshir, and Shadegan and prevents the destruction of destructive floods. Then, beside the interesting scene of the water gushing out of the pipes, they filmed.

On the way back, we visited the workshop for the construction of large pipes of the Nirpars Company. From the Behbahan headquarters, we flew by plane toward Khorramabad, and we renewed the month of Rabi al-Awwal with the water filled from the Marun Dam. With a two-hour delay, at ten at night, we were given an official welcome at Khorramabad Airport.

After the prayer, at the same place, the ceremony for the commissioning of about 400 development projects across [Lorestan] Province, at a cost of 80 billion tomans, was held. The Ministers of Interior, Islamic Guidance, Energy, Roads and Transportation, Mines and Metals, and the head of the broadcasting organization explained about their projects. [Mr. Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh], the Governor-General [of Lorestan], also gave a report on the province's progress and the successful construction programs. Because Mr. Kourosh Foladi, [the representative of Khorramabad], had recently spoken at the place about the Governor-General's ineffectiveness, he is trying to explain his work. I too gave a short speech; because of fatigue and the many mosquitoes at the meeting, I spoke little. Two plaques of appreciation were presented to me by the Governor-General and [Mr. Seyyed Kazem Hosseini Mianji], the Friday Prayer Imam.

For dinner we went to the Falak al-Aflak Castle. It has recently been taken from the army and renovated and turned into a museum. We inaugurated the museum and visited the cell in which Ayatollah [Abol-Qasem] Kashani was imprisoned for a short while. We took part in the gathering of poets and artists. Several anthems describing the construction government were performed. We had dinner. We visited an interesting and water-rich spring. From above we saw the view of Khorramabad; it is beautiful. We went to the Governor-General's Office to rest. At one in the morning, I fell asleep with extreme exhaustion.