INU – The air pollution in Tehran, Ahwaz and Karaj are the three most polluted cities in the world. The air pollution crisis has spread to other cities as well, including Shahreh Ray, Arak, Tabriz, Urumiyah, Zahedan and Kerman causing severe respiratory problems for people in these areas.

Last week, the extent of air pollution was such that many educational centers, state departments and institutions had to close down on  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, December 24,25 and 26. Moreover, in cities of Esfahan, Shahin Shahr, Najafabad, Mobarakeh, Lanjan, Barkhar and Falawarjan kindergartens, elementary schools, and schools till the eighth grade have closed down since Sunday, December 29, due to increase in air pollution.

Unchecked building of workshops and industrial factories in metropolitan areas by elements affiliated with the government with the aim of maximizing profits, lack of allocated funds for protection of the environment, inadequate attention toward forests, parks and green areas, plundering and destroying forests by bands affiliated with the government, drying up or reduction of water level for streams, rivers and lakes due to absence of least preservation considerations and divergence of their intake waters for industrial use, especially military industries as controlled by the regime, are among factors that have aggravated air pollution in Tehran and other cities and caused catastrophic destruction of the environment throughout the country.

Among these factors, measures undertaken by the Revolutionary Guards and other governmental organs that destroy forests and green areas for suppressive purposes or building military bases are among the most important elements leading to destruction of the environment. 

In this regard, vast forests and meadows, especially in Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Kohkilouyeh, Boyerahmad and Lorestan have been destroyed due to “security” considerations. In Lorestan Province, 35000 hectares of chestnut forests have been destroyed.