In a distressing scenario where air pollution has become a persistent issue in Iran, the month of January is witnessing a surge in air pollution, marked by a ‘red’ status in various regions across the country.
The air quality monitoring center of the General Department of Environmental Protection of East Azerbaijan has declared the air condition in Tabriz with a pollution index of 151, categorizing it as ‘red’ and deeming it ‘unhealthy for all age groups’.
Simultaneously, the Tehran Air Quality Control Company has labeled the air in the capital as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ in most areas, with eleven regions reaching a ‘red’ status and being classified as ‘unhealthy’.
The adverse effects of air pollution in several Iranian cities have stirred citizens to take to the streets in protest.
On Saturday, the ‘Payam-e Ma’ newspaper reported findings from the ‘Cyberspace Monitoring System’ (CMD) in five Iranian provinces, indicating that over 70% of social media content related to air pollution pertains to provinces other than Tehran.
Regrettably, despite the convening of the air pollution emergency committee and occasional school closures, no tangible improvements have been achieved. The persistence of mazut burning for power and the continuous emergence of new industries seem oblivious to the capacity limitations of the cities.
Throughout January, citizens from various Iranian cities united in protest against the deteriorating air quality. In Ardakan, Yazd province, residents marched against air pollution and polluting industries.
In the industrial city of Arak, multiple gatherings occurred in the National Garden area, protesting the air pollution resulting from mazut burning in the Shazand power plant. However, each time, these gatherings were dispersed by regime officials. Arak has experienced 119 ‘unhealthy’ days in 2023, marking a 6% increase compared to the same period last year.
Despite official denials, the newspaper ‘Etemad’ recently published research results from climate change specialists at the University of Tehran and Houston, USA, utilizing satellite images. This research unveils that mazut and diesel fuel burning in Iran is more extensive than anticipated, with mazut burning and poor-quality diesel fuel, exceeding sulfur standards, identified as the primary contributors to air pollution in Iran.
Certain regime MPs acknowledged the continued use of mazut in power plants, citing the escalation of air pollution and protests in various Iranian cities.
Earlier, Dariush Golalizadeh, the head of the National Center for Air and Climate Change at the Department of Environment, reported a death toll of over 26 thousand people in 33 cities since 2022 due to air pollution.
The Department of Health and Climate Change at the Ministry of Health of Iran disclosed that approximately 14% of ‘natural deaths’ in Iran are attributed to air pollution.
