IRAN: Nightmarish blanket of brown smog continues to choke Tehran

Even after three days with all government offices closed, the Iranian capital continues to be cloaked in a cloud of noxious, dangerous gas that some are describing as hopeless.

On Saturday, normally the start of Tehran's busy week, officials shuttered all kindergartens and primary schools, according to media reports.

Officials have tried quick fixes. They imposed rules allowing cars to be driven only on alternating days; drivers with even- and odd-numbered license plates take turns. And about 88,000 fines of $13 each have been issued to violators. Already, only cars with special permits can drive into the center of Tehran.

But urban planners say there are too many cars in Tehran and that public transportation options are too limited; toxins in the air are reaching dangerous levels.

The Tehran municipality has begun erecting oxygen tents in city squares for the elderly and even gasping police officers who must spend their days outdoors, according to the daily newspaper Aftab.

The newspaper said the shuttering of offices may or may not be reducing air pollution, but it's definitely hurting the economy -- to the tune of an estimated $350 million a day.

The daily newspaper Jomhouri Eslami quoted former lawmaker and economist Hadi Haqshenas (in Persian) as saying the pollution holidays have cost the country at least $1 billion.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is getting some of the blame. For months he's held up funds for expanding the Tehran subway system, in part, analysts say, because he doesn't want to boost the political prospects of one of his rivals, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

Hamshahri, a newspaper close to Qalibaf, published a commentary Saturday blaming Ahmadinejad's government of failing to implement plans for electronic banking and governance that would reduce the motor vehicle traffic that is the greatest cause of pollution. 

Pollution has also reached crisis levels in Esfahan, south of Tehran. Meteorologists predict that weather conditions that have recently intensified the pollution problem will remain unchanged until Tuesday.

-- Ramin Mostasghim in Tehran

Photos: Scenes from Tehran amid one of the worst stretches of air pollution in recent memory. Credit: Mohammad-Reza Abbasi / Mehr News Agency

Comments

[Christine]

maddogg-
that is incredibly rude. i think you are assuming that your luxurious democracy in america exists everywhere. citizens of iran can't do much to help themselves, and there is no counting on their president, either. that doesn't mean you should wish death upon them. this article has given no reason to blame the citizens, and you just spat out that comment from a random hate of iran.
obviously, they are trying to do what they can to limit cars on the roads. it's not like they are completely hopeless.

[glenn grab]

gee, what a shame. if they(the iranians) had any guts they would overthrow the criminals who are running their country. i guess they would rather live on their knees than die standing up.

[Jonah Corling]

It almost makes you wish the democratic Iranian government hadn't been overthrown in 1953 in a CIA-backed coup.

[SMMike]

Looks like L.A.

[Ron Larson]

To help put this in context. Gasoline in Iran is subsided by the government. It costs about 40 cents a gallon. So there is no economic incentive to use public transport, or to buy new fuel efficient and less polluting cars.

The government there is afraid of cut the subsidy because that is how they stay in power. So this smog problem will continue to get worse until they finally figure out how to end this insanity.

[stuuuu]

when you are ruled by evil men, the air is always thick with poison. Maybe if they didnt spend all their time and money trying to kill jews and build bombs they could fix that hell hole they live in.

[ocidirev]

Tehran is under a pall of poison gas. The Moussad is getting even for Auschwitz.

[EarthOhio]

This is all due to repressive control over all reasonable urban planning. There ahs never been this much smug even in our biggest and dirtiest cities in USA. Iranians need start looking at reducing their un-controlled use of vehicles.

[steveg68]

What's missing from this story is a quote form some Iranian official that blames the" Zionist Entity".

Curiously this smog problem article appeared after the Carmel fire, so, surely the Zioinists are bottling the smoke and dispersing it through drone aircraft, (all secretly of course).

[Rigoberto Rojas]

Iran: Nightmarish blanket of brown smug continues to choke Tehran".
Nations must learn out of greed and corruption.
Visions that sucks cities under should be prevented and a healthy future for cities dreamed out for all.
In the past some 30 thousand people have died in Iran at certain times of a month when poisoning pollution comes down. But there is never any adoption of an emergency free energy system that will prevent future droughts and deadly pollution in the world's cities.
Iran must change it's ungodly constitution to allow GOD=YHWH and Christ Jesus in Competition. Iran armed to the teeth can not eat and it must concentrate in peace to keep.
Water desalination plants, green house farming, "SAFE EFFECTIVE BIRTH CONTROL" will safe/save women from injurious abortions and will control population growth and will keep them from dying in future droughts.
Also a long distance free energy vehicle will save endless monies in the long run and would help clean the Earth from pollution.
For Iran a hybrid would improve it's air quality because as an oil producing nation greed is their source of priority and not people.
Free energy vs destructive Chernobyl accidents.
For United Germany, United KOREAS, United World.
Prophecy with removal of false planted swords in disobedient competition.
Thank You.
7:42 P.M. EST.

[maddogg]

Good. Enjoy your own holocaust!

[Joe]

While it might be ridiculous to even consider, but theoretically one can detonate several measured explosions strategically above grounds to move and disperse stale air by force of generated shockwaves!