The rural district of Zalaghi in the western province of Lorestan is a smattering of villages on the slopes of the Zagros mountain range. It sits on the borders of the three provinces of Lorestan, Isfahan and Khuzestan and is populated by members of the Bakhtiari tribe. Life is very tough but many refuse to migrate because they consider this place to be their ancestral land. Nevertheless, the migration of the younger generation looking for a better life is gaining momentum fast.
The mountainous dirt roads are extremely difficult to traverse and have cut off most villagers from electricity, schools, medical facilities and other basic services. Their drinking water comes from natural springs and the villagers have to walk a distance on the mountain slopes to carry water back home. In some villages, the residents have solved the problem by buying hoses and connecting them together to get water from the springs to where they live.
Lack of access to medical care presents a serious problem. In emergencies, helicopters are dispatched to the area but often — where cellphone towers are nonexistent or there are no phones or electricity —they must trudge the roads to get to the doctor.
Photos: Majid Asgaripour, Mehr News Agency
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