The Hirmand River, which flows into Iran's drought-ravaged southeast Province of Sistan-Baluchestan, has again been reduced to a trickle -- around 11 million cubic liters per day at most -- some of which has been stored in ditches and ponds for drinking purposes, according to the Chairman of the Sistan-Baluchestan Water Affairs Department, Hossein-Ali Shahraki.

Recently, ten days after the Hirmand River was reopened to flow into Hamoun Lake, once again the flow was cut off. It is believed that it was cut off due to Afghanistan's seasonal irrigation for cultivation purposes.

In a sign of improving ties, water from the Hirmand River had started to enter Iran in late October after a five-year interruption.

Afghanistan and Iran had recently agreed to the release of a total of 1,000 hours of water flow from the Hirmand into Iran after dredging its riverbed, but the flow was cut off after only 240 hours.

Iran had already warned of an impending human catastrophe in Sistan-Baluchestan Province if rolling dunes and moving sandstorms, triggered by the drying up of Hamoun Lake, continued to flood the province.

Sandstorms have buried 124 villages in Sistan-Baluchestan Province and have destroyed thousands of acres of farmland, resulting in migration to the cities to escape the drought, with the consequent unemployment and poverty.

The first great migration of Sistanis to other provinces, especially Mazandaran Province, took place about 50 years ago.

Due to the drought, many pastures around the river and lake have been destroyed, resulting in the death of many livestock.

The resulting sandstorms have also increased cases of asthma and eye disease in the region.

Despite the personal assurances Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami during Khatami's visit to Afghanistan on August 13, 2002, the water flow is still blocked.

Karzai and Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi have also held discussions on the issue.

In a telephone call on Friday, Kharrazi urged Karzai to ensure that Afghanistan respects the accords on the Hirmand River, which is a lifeline for Iran's parched southeast.

The Afghan leader gave assurances he would "take care of this issue personally".

Iran made a similar appeal on October 28 for Kabul to respect the accord, which entitles Iran to at least 26 cubic meters (910 cubic feet) of water per second.

Given the fact that Sistan-Baluchestan Province's cities and villages' drinking water is supplied from the Hirmand, public opinion in the region is very sensitive to the issue. Taking into consideration the age-old historical, cultural, and religious affinities of the Iranian and Afghan people, and the two decades of hospitality and help provided by the Iranian people to them, even during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war, Iranian people expect reciprocal kindness.

Of course, drought is an understandable phenomenon, but it is also expected that the catastrophe should be dealt with in a just manner.

The Iran-Afghanistan agreement had this purpose in mind.