As predicted, scattered light precipitation this week especially in the highlands, will prevent air pollution levels from increasing in the capital, said Fariba Gudarzi, an expert at the Iran Meteorological Organization (IMO).
In the past week, the use of mazut fuel was banned in plants in different cities including Karaj, Arak, Mashhad and Qazvin as a measure to prevent pollution levels from rising.
Air pollution in the past week also resulted in closure of sand factories in the regions around Tehran. And contrary to public expectations over schools’ closure, the schools were kept open. “As per the the law, we are not allowed to close schools as long as the air pollution index does not reach 200,” Iran Newspaper quoted Mohammad Hadi Heidarzadeh, head of Tehran’s Department of Environment (DoE) as saying.
Heidarzadeh further said mazut is used in many plants and factories across the country and has adverse negative effect on the environment. “Fortunately in the past year many plants in Alborz and Tehran Province changed over to gas in Montazar-al-Ghaem and Be’sat plants, which is a cleaner fuel,” he said. According to the oil minister by the end of the next calendar year (March 20, 2016) all industrial units will use gas instead of other ‘unclean’ fuels, he added.
