Heavy pollution takes a toll on residents in Tehran
washintonpost / Thomas Erdbrink
08-Dec-2010 (17 comments)

TEHRAN - The Iranian capital is experiencing what officials say is the worst pollution in its history, prompting the government to shutter offices and consider placing air purifiers across the city as it seeks to combat the brown blanket of smog.

The weeks of heavy pollution are taking a serious toll on residents of Tehran. Hospitals are reporting a strong increase in patients with breathing problems. Government offices have been closed for three days over the past three weeks, and schools and universities have been shuttered for at least six days.

Tightly embraced by one of the highest mountain ranges in the Middle East and filled with millions of cars, Tehran has grappled for decades with air pollution. But this year, as the capital and other Iranian cities struggle with extreme pollution, many here are blaming a new, locally produced form of gasoline.

The product is the result of an emergency plan to prevent fuel shortages following a vote by the U.S. Congress in July that banned oil companies from selling gasoline to Iran.

The Islamic Republic's leaders have lauded their oil industry for swiftly supplying the market with its own mixes of high-octane fuel, which is manufactured in petrochemical plants rather than refineries.

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IranFirst

Air Polution- Compare Ettelaat from yesterday to Today's

by IranFirst on

Look at IRI's controlled news paper "Ettelaat" from today and yesterday

//www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=25505

Yesterday's first Page Says: "low quality of Fuel, the main reason behind smog"

 

Today's first page : "The big success of the children of the nation in producing HIGH quality fuel"

 

Anonymouse, you were right


yolanda

......

by yolanda on

Thank you, Mouse,

    OMG! Selling kerosene as gas.........if they use kerosene in sparsely populated area, it may be OK! (I hope they don't do that either.)

It is absolutely detrimental to use low quality gas in a densely populated area like Tehran with 3 million cars.....

It hurts local people and tourism!


Anonymouse

Yolanda there are "checks" for everything but no enforcement.

by Anonymouse on

Enforcement is whatever they feel like.  For example, presumably we have freedom of press, assembly and no "torture" but they're being ignored.  Same goes for the whole attitude about other things.

They decide to make domestic gasoline but they could be selling kerosene at gas stations instead! 

Everything is sacred


yolanda

.....

by yolanda on

Is there any smog check for cars over there?


Anonymouse

1/2 of today's Ettelaat is about d "quality" of Islamic gasoline

by Anonymouse on


MRX1

And I thought

by MRX1 on

by now Emam zaman would intervene and fix things. So what's the story,  the amazing IRI constantly tells us they do this, they build that, they have amazing scientists, they can cure Aids, enrich uranium in their basement or ab-anbar you name it and yet they can't fix this issue? Hum, may be what's missing is  sargord's leadership!!!! 


Cost-of-Progress

4 years ago

by Cost-of-Progress on

it was impossible to breath in Tehran, let alone now.

Here's are a few reasons (other than natural such as surrounding mountains) why the pollution is rampant - of course it has to do with the incompetence of the bearded crowd who pretend to know how to run a country:

1. No pollution control measures on vehicles - no such regualtion, so even new cars made don't have any.

2. Numerous old vehicles on the road that should have retired from service 30 years ago, but still running,.... sort of.

3. Total disregard of government in the past 30 years with respect to the problem which has only gotten worse. I guess when you're busy assisting (that is pay them off in exchnage for their support and alliance), you don't have time to tend to doemstic issues such as this.

By the way, high octane does not help with pollution control. It does help with engine performance, but if you're driving a piece of junk, high octane is useless.

P.S. lotfan in grohban raa mahal nazarin taa bere gomshe'.

____________

IRAN FIRST

____________


yolanda

.......

by yolanda on

The whole thing is sad......I call air pollution the low concentration of poison gas........the thing is that everyone needs to breath the clean air, but not everyone needs uranium........IRI really needs to take immediate actions to address the air pollution problem by producing quality gasoline and stop being in denial:
//iranian.com/main/news/2010/12/08/tehran-chokes-pollution-regime-denies-blame

If the air pollution worsens, it can paralize Tehran......the consequence will be unthinkable! How can a country survive by declaring national holiday on air-pollution all the time??


Roozbeh_Gilani

My parents moved from Tehran back to Gilan

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

about a month ago as they both suffer from respiratory problems. They are much happier, but vast majority of Tehran residents, specially in poor neighbourhoods of South Tehran have no choice but to suffer from this intolerable situation. You'd think that the regime would invest in expanding oil refinery capacity instead of this phucking nuclear obsession, but of course they wouln't. They dont give a damn about the people, all they care about is their own survival. 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


yolanda

....

by yolanda on


IranFirst

تهران دود گرفته در معرض باران اسیدی

IranFirst


Here is the next problem, you would think the IRI idiots would have a plan for this by now.

//www.roozonline.com/persian/news/newsitem/ar...

 

هشدار؛ احتمال بارش باران اسیدی

 


Sargord Pirouz

I think leaded high-octane

by Sargord Pirouz on

I think leaded high-octane gas (which is non-street legal and sold for racing purposes only) in northern California goes for upwards of $10/gallon.

How much is it in Tehran, forty cents? 


IranFirst

Think Twice Sargord

by IranFirst on

Think Twice Sargord, instead of being happy about Iranian people's misery due to Terrorist IRI, have some humanity.

Here is just one young woman reporter who DIED yesterday due sever air poliution , there are many young and elderly who can't leave their homes, there are many people in hospitals due to air polution and you are "jumping in joy" and making light of this huge problem just to support your IRI!! 

//ayandenews.com/news/21604/

دبیر سرویس گروه اقتصادی روزنامه سیاست روز گفت: آلودگی هوا در مرگ «پریسا پناه‌خواهی» نقش بسزایی داشت.


Hoshang Targol

Sar Tah, as they say in Persian :

by Hoshang Targol on

To Goh Khordi.

 

It's sub-standard cars, sub-standard gas, and above all sub-standard government, but I have a feeling that you, as a sub-standard "Iranian" which you "think"( fabricate) you are, could easily relate to sub-standards.


Sargord Pirouz

I'm thinking it's

by Sargord Pirouz on

I'm thinking it's high-octane leaded fuel.

60s musclecar drivers here in the US would jump for joy over such a product! 


yolanda

........

by yolanda on

Super sad news.......so IRI is "beating" sanction at the expense of Iranian people's health........installing air purifiers are not the solution.....they need to upgrade the quality of domestically produced gasoline! That is the root-cause of the pollution!

AN is probably still saying the sanction does not work!


IranFirst

IRI's new low quality fuel

by IranFirst on

People's health and life have liitle meaning for IRI , which is boasting about producing this low quality fuel at the expense of sickness and death of Iranians.