Pollution continues to hinder life in Iran

smog-enveloped Tehran, Iran. Iran’s government announced that all schools and kindergartens of Tehran close on Dec. 20 and 21, due to the alarming high air pollution in the city. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

The severe air pollution continues after it had led authorities to close schools for three days in and around the capital, where an estimated 14 million people live, it resulted in cancelling two major football games.

According to Fars News Agency, The premier football league games between Tehran teams and clubs visiting from Mashhad and Tabriz were rescheduled for Tuesday after Tehran’s environment authority recommended refraining from all sport activities, as air pollution more than twice the acceptable level continues.

Despite closing schools which subsequently meant that the car traffic would be less, the air quality indicates that it’s only 132, while the level that the World’s Health Organization recommends is between zero and fifty. Authorities and members of the government as Mohamed Rastegari, told “Albawaba” that people especially elderly, children and sick people, including those suffering heart problems, are advised to stay indoors.

According to Massouma Ibtkar, the president’s adviser for environmental issues, she stated that the government is trying to reduce the level of pollution by supplying gas stations with fuels that reduce less emissions according to European standards.

Exhaust fumes from the five million cars and motorcycles account for 80 percent of the pollution in Tehran alone, which increases in winter as emissions fail to rise above cold air. While some local newspaper argue that motorcycles in the capital emit more exhaust than the cars.

A number of people were protesting that the government isn’t being honest about what causes such high level of pollution, “In the last two years, it has been said that the cause of air pollution was imported petrol,” said Hamid Rasaie to “YourMiddleEast”,”What is the reason now?”

Last December, almost 400 people were hospitalized with heart and respiratory problems caused by heavy pollution in Tehran, with nearly 1,500 others requiring treatment.

In 2012, pollution contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran and about 80,000 in the country, according to the health ministry.