Giving Life to the River…..Zāyandéh-Rūd Isfahan
Zāyandé-Rūd is the largest river which flows on the plains of central Iran(rud, spelled rood in Persian means river and ‘zayandeh’ means ‘life-giving’). It starts in the Zagros Mountains and flows 300 kilometres eastward before ending in the Gao-khooni swamp, a seasonal salt lake, southeast of Esfahan city. A distinct quality of this river is that it flows throughout the year as against many other rivers of Iran which are seasonal. It is adorned with many historical Safavid era bridges which have great cultural influence on the lives of local people namely Khaju Bridge, Se-o-Seh Bridge, Marnan Brige, Shehristan Bridge, Pul-e-Choobi (Joui Bridge), etc. The River water gives life to the people of central Iran mainly in Isfahan and Yazd provinces. The river also gives a green landscape to Isfahan. There are lush green parks on both sides of the river which add to the beauty of place manifold and create an effect of paradise on earth; like ‘Aina-khana Park, Bostan-e-Millat, Nazhvan Park, Birds Garden, Butterfly Garden, etc. It is a pleasure to be in these parks and gardens any time of the day and night.
Zayandeh Rood is flowing since pre historic times. An ancient culture, the Zayandeh River Civilization, flourished along the banks of the river in the 6th Millennium BC.
About 4-5 years ago, Government of Iran withheld the water of Zayandeh Rud in Chadegan Reservoir Dam (also called Zayandeh Dam), about 200 km above Isfahan for other useful purposes which converted the river into desert after thousands of years of life. It adversely affected the life patterns and cultural activities of the people of Isfahan. They felt deprived and protested and mourned over their deprivation. After years of vehement protests and demands, the Government of Iran released the water of the river on 7 April 2013 which brought a life into the lives of 5 million people of Isfahan.