Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
A group of people has gathered in front of Khuzestan Governorate office in capital Ahvaz demanding action to tackle dust storm that has crippled lives in the area, IRNA news agency reported on Feb. 11.
The province's Environment Protection Organization's Public Relations has announced that the density of dust particles in the air reached 9.985 micrograms per cubic meter, registering a record pollution 66 times greater than the healthy limit.
A report by the province's Center for Management of Incidents and Medical Emergencies said that by Feb. 10, 230 cases suffering respiratory problems had sought medical help at hospitals.
At least three ambulances and 12 aid personnel are strolling downtown to offer help to people, the announcement said.
Head of Iran's Environment Protection Organization Masomeh Ebtekar's trip to Ahvaz was canceled because the dust forced airline flight closures. She had intended to hold emergency meetings on the crisis with local authorities.
Ahvaz representative to the parliament said that the government has allocated a fund of 3 trillion rials (34,500 rials making USD1) to planting trees at areas in Khuzestan that feed dust into the air.
The MP said that the dust is mainly a result of drought at Hur ul-Azim (a wetland in western Khuzestan) that has become a source of fine particles raised into the air.
Nothing is left of the former body of water but a dry desert.
Edited by CN