Protesters block main Iran road over water shortage
TEHRAN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Demonstrators angered by a shortage of drinking
water blocked a main road outside the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday,
leaving thousands of motorists stranded, an evening newspaper reported.
The daily Kayhan said traffic was stopped for two hours on the road
connecting Tehran to the Caspian Sea coast in the protest over a disruption
of water supplies to a rural housing project northeast of the capital.
The newspaper said police and security forces were rushed to the area
and that the protest ended peacefully after local officials promised to
deal with the water problem.
It was not immediately clear if the disruption of water supplies was
linked to Iran's recent drought, the country's worse in 30 years.
Shortage of drinking water caused by the drought has prompted public
protests in some areas, and even riots in the southwestern oil city of
Abadan in July.
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