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Area around Tehran Is Sinking Due to Excessive Water Pumping
(AP-ABC News) Mehdi Fattahi - The area around Tehran has begun to sink dramatically, due to a 30-year drought and excessive water pumping. Fissures appear along roads, while massive holes open up in the countryside. Iranian authorities say they have measured up to 22 cm. (8.6 inches) of annual subsidence near the capital. "In European countries, even 4 mm. (0.15 inches) of yearly subsidence is considered a crisis," Iranian environmental activist Mohammad Darvish said. German scientists estimate that land under Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport is sinking by 5 cm. (1.9 inches) a year. Tehran's oil refinery, a key highway, automobile manufacturing plants and railroads all sit on sinking ground.