Tehran, pollution emergency: schools closed, sports events cancelled

All institutions in the capital and of some big cities like Isfahan, Tabriz, Urmia, and Arak have been closed for days. The authorities have forbidden the circulation of heavy vehicles and imposed alternate license plates. The problem of "thermal inversion" and the lack of rain throughout the autumn worsen the problem.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Since the beginning of the week in Teheran and in the main cities of Iran, dangerous pollution levels have closed schools and cancelled outdoor sports events, to protect the health of athletes. Yesterday, for the fourth consecutive day, the institutions in the capital were closed, in Isfahan, Tabriz, Urmia, and Arak; the authorities imposed heavy restrictions on vehicle traffic and the prohibition of entry into the city centres for heavy vehicles.

Air pollution is a common phenomenon this season in Iran, particularly in metropolises and urban centers with greater population density. In Teheran it is exacerbated by a phenomenon known as the "reverse inversion": cold air at high altitude - the capital is located between 1400 and 1800 meters high - prevents the hot, polluted, underlying air from dispersing. Added to this the lack of rain since the beginning of autumn.

The emergency, even in the past, led to the forced closure of government offices and public administration activities. There are already numerous cases of hospital admissions - particularly among children, the elderly and the sick - for respiratory or cardiac diseases. According to data provided by Tehran authorities, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air continues to increase, with peaks of up to 181 micrograms per cubic meter. A rate far above 25 μg / m3, the maximum average tolerable in the 24 hours according to experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).

In addition to the industries, the first factor contributing to exacerbate the pollution emergency is the fleet of vehicles that crowds the streets of the capital and the most important cities of the country every day. These are old cars without the current environmental protection standards now widespread in the West.

Even today the restrictions on circulation remain in force, with the provision of alternative license plates in place since 18 December in Teheran, a metropolis of 8.5 million people. There is an absolute ban on the entry to trucks and other heavy vehicles, with numerous patrols scattered throughout the main streets of the city to ensure compliance with the rules. Local sources report numerous cases of seizures of vehicles.

• Iran
• Tehran
• health
• pollution
• environment
• ecology
• development
• health