In conditions where air pollution persists in some major cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Arak, despite snow and rain in various regions of Iran, Iranian authorities have admitted that this pollution is caused by burning mazut in power plants.
Provincial authorities in Tehran have issued warnings about the continued air pollution and the danger to infants and the elderly. This is happening while Tehran has experienced snow and rain in recent days.
According to a report by the regime’s ISNA news agency on March 5, the Air Pollution Monitoring Center in Tehran province announced in a statement that air pollution in the capital will continue until the morning of Thursday, March 8.
According to this report, during the night leading to the morning of March 5, the average air quality index reached 128, and the concentration of pollutant particles increased, posing “unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups.”
In this announcement, it is recommended for “children and the elderly” to “avoid outdoor activities,” and other citizens are asked to “refrain from unnecessary travel with personal vehicles.”
A report from Arak (central Iran) shows that a group of locals gathered in protest against the use of mazut in the Shazand power plant, which is causing continued air pollution in the central province. They chanted slogans in protest. Locals in Arak had previously protested against the ongoing air pollution.
Reports from Isfahan also indicate that the air in Isfahan has been polluted in recent days.
Tasnim News Agency, quoting Mansour Shishehforoush, the director of the Crisis Management of Isfahan Province, reported that the intensification of air pollution in Isfahan is caused by the continued mazut burning in the Montazeri power plant.
According to the director of the Crisis Management of Isfahan Province, with the drop in temperature, the Ministry of Energy and Oil has decided to burn mazut in the Montazeri power plant.
An investigation by climate change experts from the University of Tehran and the University of Houston, USA, utilizing satellite images, revealed that mazut and diesel consumption in Iran is significantly broader than initially estimated. The primary factor contributing to air pollution in Iran is the utilization of substandard mazut and diesel containing sulfur levels that surpass established standards. This research underscores the extensive impact of low-quality fuel sources on the country’s air quality.
The intensification of air pollution in Iran’s major cities, which has led to widespread criticism of the Environmental Organization, is the most important and fundamental reason for air pollution.
The mazut and diesel produced in Iran do not meet the required quality, and for this reason, the Iranian government cannot export them. Without implementing clean air laws, they continue to use them in power plants.
