Whenever there is talk of air pollution, the debate is focused on Tehran. However, Tehran is not the only Iranian metropolis grappling with bad air quality and experts say Isfahan is facing worse conditions.
The central city is in need of early action for curbing air pollution. Experts mostly blame the situation on mismanagement, lack of an integrated air pollution reduction schemes and smog-inducing dilapidated gas-guzzlers, IRNA reported.
Isfahan Province is one of the main industrial hubs in Iran. For long, environmentalists have complained that factories in and around the province largely disregard environmental standards.
The Department of Environment, which monitors air quality in the province and the city and delivers data based on the Air Quality Index, recently issued a new and more worrying report.
The index compartmentalizes conditions according to a measure 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).
According to DOE, the metropolis has seen clear skies for only one day in the past two weeks (Dec. 22, 2018 - Jan. 5). On December 29, the AQI was between 0-50, marking 'good' air condition. Air pollution was in charge for almost two weeks.
The index was 'moderate' for seven days. In addition, polluted air forced sensitive groups to remain indoors, with for four days with the AQI marking 'unhealthy' conditions.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, all of whom are in the sensitive group, were advised to avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.
Three days were marked as 'unhealthy' for all groups, with the index between 151and 200.
Health Hazard
During the period, Isfahan hospitals recorded a sharp hike in emergency visits with serious heart and respiratory problems caused largely by air pollution.
Head of Khorshid Hospital, Ramin Saami, says, “Air pollution increased the number of emergency cases with heart and lung problems by up to 50%.”
The hospital is one of the two health centers in the province offering specialized medical services for respiration and heart conditions.
“In the past two weeks, at the emergency section 250 out of 300 beds were taken by patients who had severe breathing problems,” Saami said.
Elderly and middle-aged people constitute a major number of respiratory and heart emergency patients, “Among which death cases have been frequent.” He did not elaborate.
Disaster From Inaction
In an interview with IRNA head of Isfahan Province Disaster Management Organization censured authorities for their negligence. Mansour Shisheh-Foroush called on the people and officialdom “to take immediate action.”
“There is no excuse for this disastrous inaction,” the vexed official said.
“Compliance of industrial centers, energy plants, public transportation system and fuel suppliers with environmental standards must be strictly upheld and monitored.”
Lamenting that even the people do not care about the environment, Shisheh-Foroush called on Isfahan residents to select less polluting means of transportation and personal cars.
Poor air quality has long been a danger for most metropolises in Iran causing over 12,000 pollution-relation deaths in the fiscal that ended in March 2017
Environmental Distress
Located in arid regions of Iran's central plateau, the province receives below minimum precipitation.
Isfahan has been struggling with drought for many years, which has resulted in drying up of the famous Zayandehrud River. This, in turn, has resulted in drought in the Gavkhouni Wetland, where Zayandehrud ends, and other environmental crisis in the region.
Arid lands are potential sources of sandstorms which emerge with the slightest wind and dim the sky, adding to the suffocating emissions released by vehicles and industrial units.
Poor air quality has long been a danger for most metropolises in Iran causing over 12,000 pollution-relation deaths in the fiscal that ended in March 2017, the Ministry of Health reported.
