Tehran pollution closes schools and construction sites, people at risk forced indoor
Last Monday was the worst day as particulates (PM 2.5) reached 156 micrograms per square metre against 50 maximum set by the World Health Organisation. In one year, almost 6,000 people died from exposure to pollutants. Low quality fuels, outdated technology, and Western sanctions are the main causes of the problem.
Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Smog is a major emergency in Iran, especially in the capital Tehran, a metropolis of some 8.5 million people that has been wrapped in a blanket of smog for several days.
City authorities have had to close schools to avoid exposing pre- and elementary school children to the danger of particulate matter (PM2.5).
According to experts, Monday was the most polluted day of the year with 156 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre.
To understand the gravity of the situation, one has to keep in mind that for the World Health Organisation (WHO), the acceptable level is 50 PM2.5 and lower.
Iranian authorities have urged at-risk groups like children, seniors, people with respiratory problems, and pregnant women, to avoid leaving home or remain outside for too long.
The Tehran Provincial Emergency Committee, which shut down schools, also ordered a stop to the sale of car entry permits for downtown Tehran.
Factories and workshops around the capital have reduced their activities. Construction sites and road work in Tehran have been shut down to cut pollutants.
On average, some five million vehicles drive around the capital every day. Most of them are not equipped with pollution controls, and generate most PM2.5.
Studies by Iran’s Environmental Protection Organisation, which comes under the authority of President Hassan Rouhani, show that between March 2015 and March 2016 (1394 in the Iranian calendar) at least 5,834 people died from prolonged exposure to particulates.
In the capital, the average PM2.5 rate is 87.31 micrograms per cubic metre, well above the threshold deemed safe. Habib Kashani, a member of Tehran’s municipal council, said on Tuesday that pollution in Tehran had led to the death of 412 citizens in the past 23 days.
WHO database of worldwide air pollution measures, released in May, put the Iranian city of Zabol, on the eastern border with Afghanistan, as the world’s most polluted city, based on PM2.5.
Pollution is a persistent problem in Iran, especially in the capital Tehran, which is surrounded by mountains and has little wind to disperse the smog, in particular at critical moments of the year.
Millions of cars throng the city’s congested streets, and locally refined petrol has also been blamed as a key polluting factor.
After taking office in 2013, President Rouhani personally committed himself to tackling the problem.
Thus far, some steps have already been taken, such as banning in 2014 the low quality fuels produced by Iranian refineries under the presidency of right-wing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013).
Known as " petrochemical essence ", these highly polluting fuels were replaced with products that meet Euro 4 emission standards.
In addition to dirty fuels, Western economic sanctions are another cause of massive pollution. Imposed to curb Iran’s nuclear programme, they were partially lifted following last year’s nuclear agreement.
AsiaNews had already reported on the tragic effects of the sanctions on Iran’s environment, badly affected, among other things, by the ban on the sale of refinery and natural gas technology and equipment.
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