Gilan Province reports 75 percent of wastewater enters environment untreated

Alireza Norani, head of the Gilan Province Management and Planning Organization, has reported a significant environmental crisis regarding wastewater and waste management in the region. Approximately 390,000 cubic meters of domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewater are produced daily in Gilan, but only 25 percent of this volume is treated. The remaining 75 percent enters rivers and the natural environment untreated.

Of the total daily wastewater, about 200,000 cubic meters flows into the Anzali Lagoon area and the rivers leading to it. Additionally, an estimated 15 tons of solid waste, primarily plastic and paper, enter the Anzali Lagoon every day.

Norani noted that Gilan's sanitary wastewater treatment rate is roughly half the national average. He highlighted that the resulting pollution of water and soil resources has led to notable social and health consequences over the last two decades, including a rise in digestive cancers. The province also produces between 2,000 and 3,000 tons of waste daily, a figure that increases during tourist seasons.