Azernews.Az

Criticizing the officials for disregarding the critical state of Lake Urmia, Iranian MP Nader Ghazipour said that the Energy Ministry has not fulfilled its obligations to restore the lake, Mehr news agency reported.

He added that, no funds were allocated for lake's restoration.

"Officials of the East Azerbaijan province just get credits from administration under the cover of the project of transferring water from the Araz River to Lake Urmia and it looks like they have not decided to save lake," he said.

The project for transfer of 600 million cubic meters of water from the Araz River to Lake Urmia was approved in 2010, during a visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and members of the government to Tabriz. Some $1.2 billion will be allocated for this project.

Lake Urmia in northwest Iran, is experiencing its worst drought condition for many years, where over 70 per cent of its water has dried up. The level of the water has been declining since 1995.

Officials say if the current restoration efforts are not effective, the lake will be turned into a swamp within four years.

In October 2012, Environment Protection Organisation director Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh said during the Iranian calendar year which ended on March 19, 2012, about two billion cubic meters of water were transferred to the lake.

Currently, only a third of the lake is filled with water and the rest is dry.

Lake Urmia needs 3.1 billion cubic meters of water per year to survive. The Iranian government allocated $900 million for this purpose in September 2011, but the rescue plans have not begun.

Lake Urmia is the third largest salt water lake on earth with a surface area of approximately 5200 square kilometers.