Pointing to the outrageously high number of pollution-related deaths in Tehran, the mayor says measures are being taken in earnest to improve public transportation in the metropolis and reduce air pollution.
Pirouz Hanachi said, “During the fiscal that ended in March 2016, 4,573 pollution-related deaths were recorded in Tehran alone. Every year the suffocating air pollution causes breathing disorders for thousands of people and sends an average 1,500 people to hospitals,” ILNA reported.
The mayor was speaking during a visit to a subway station under construction in the downtown Dolatabad district which is part of Line 6 of Tehran Metro. The 31 km line starts from Sulqan in the northwest and ends in the Dolatabad in the southeast with 31 stations.
“Metro expansion is key to curbing air pollution and protecting the life of the people. As such, expansion of the subway is high on the municipality agenda,” Hanachi said, adding, “In less than two months three Line 6 stations will open, namely the Dolatabad, Shohada Square and Be’sat junctions.”
The three stations will be connected by a 9km tunnel.
Hanachi said the high concentration of PM2.5 in Tehran’s air is the main cause of pollution-related deaths. PM2.5 refers to atmospheric particulate matters (PM) that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers that can include dust, dirt, soot, and smoke.
According to the mayor, while the concentration of PM2.5 has declined in Tehran’s air, “the rate is still three times higher than globally accepted standards.”
Air Quality Overview
According to data released by Tehran Air Quality Control Company (airnow.tehran.ir), since the beginning of the current fiscal in March, the capital saw 42 days of unhealthy air quality that poses a risk to sensitive groups, 224 moderate days and barely 15 days of clean air. The report is based on the Air Quality Index.
AQI categorizes conditions based on the amount of polluting matters into good (0-50), moderate (51-100), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150), unhealthy (151-200), very unhealthy (201-300) and hazardous (301-500).
On Wednesday TAQCC reported on its website that Tehran residents should expect worsening air quality in the coming days.
Traffic in Tehran has become something very close to torture and at times agonizing, particularly during the rush hours. The growing population, poor public transport and use of private vehicles on a large scale has created conditions not many can bear and families are gradually looking for alternatives in other cities.
The bad situation becomes worse in the winter season when the freezing temperature and air pollution join hands to make living and working in Tehran a challenging enterprise.
During the past years, winters have gotten friendly with weather inversion and toxic air pollution. Schools in Tehran are ordered closed several times during the cold season due to the smog and risks to the health of children.
Tehran Metro
Last month Tehran Metro Group CEO told reporters that Line 6 of Tehran Metro will open partially in December.
At the time, Ali Emam said, “Ten kilometers and four stations of the 31km line will be launched in December.” After hemming and hawing over the completion of the line, only 10km of the line linking Dolatabad to Imam Hussein Square will be launched.
Before work started, the municipality had estimated the line would cost 65 trillion rials ($541 million), or $17.5 million per kilometer. But the TM has been reporting cost overruns, as usually is the case with major infrastructure and development projects undertaken by contractors working for the state, government and their affiliates.
Furthermore, at the time, the company director pointed to the unfinished Line 7. “If money is available for purchasing machinery and equipment for Line 7, almost 11 stations of the line can become operational in three months.”
The 27km Line 7 connects the northwest to the southeastern regions, covering 25 stations. Initially, the TM estimated that it would cost 60 trillion rials ($500 billion) -- about $18.5 million/km.
Line 7 was scheduled to open in 2015, but after three years and billions in costs and overheads, thanks to negligence and poor management of past managers, only seven stations have been built so far.
In addition to lines 6 and 7, Tehran’s subway includes five main lines (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) with nearly 100 stations. The total length of the subway is 204 km.
Subway commute has increased significantly in recent years and about 4 million people use the trains every day. The municipality expects traffic to increase by 25% after lines 6 and 7 are up and running.
Inefficient Public Transportation
Independent observers and environmentalist have often said that public transportation, especially the subway, must be expanded across the sprawling capital.
Simply put, unless the public transportation system is enhanced, telling people not to use their own cars to work does not make a lot of sense.
Tehran’s public transportation network includes city buses, bus rapid transit (BRT), subway system, and taxis.
However, many areas still suffer from a lack of sufficient and decent services.
What indeed is available is definitely not enough for a megacity like Tehran, in which, according to published data, over 15 million people commute every day, many coming from the satellite cities and surrounding areas.
