ic ▁meters . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Water ▁and ▁Electric ity ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁provide ▁the ▁rural ▁and ▁urban ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁with ▁sufficient ▁water ▁and ▁electric ity . ▁Later , ▁this ▁Ministry ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Energy . ▁Three ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁parliament ▁passed ▁a ▁law ▁protect ing ▁ground water ▁resources . ▁According ▁to ▁this ▁law , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Water ▁and ▁Electric ity ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁ban ▁dr illing ▁any ▁deep ▁or ▁semi - deep ▁well s ▁wherever ▁surve ys ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁water ▁table ▁was ▁dro pping ▁because ▁of ▁over p ump ing . ▁In ▁fact , ▁this ▁law ▁was ▁passed ▁only ▁after ▁the ▁growing ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁p ump ed ▁well s ▁sound ed ▁the ▁alarm ▁about ▁over ▁p ump ing ▁and ▁de ple tion ▁of ▁ground water ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁decl ine ▁in ▁q an at ’ ▁flow ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁country . ▁This ▁law , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁Water ▁National ization ▁that ▁was ▁approved ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁and ▁eventually ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁Fair ▁Distribution ▁of ▁water ▁passed ▁( in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ) ▁after ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁revolution ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁restricted ▁and ▁free ▁areas ▁for ▁dr illing . ▁In ▁the ▁restricted ▁areas , ▁dr illing ▁any ▁well s ▁( except ▁for ▁drink ing ▁and ▁industry ) ▁was ▁prohib ited ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁continuous ▁de ple