Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Some 277 people die in Iran monthly due to air pollution related diseases, member of the Tehran City Council, Rahmatollah Hafezi said, Mehr news agency reported on Nov. 20.
Some 2,722 people died in Iran last solar year (ended on March 21) due to air pollution, Hafezi said citing official statistics.
He went on to note that air pollution damage costed the country up to $8 billion in 2006.
About 70 to 80 percent of air pollution is linked to sedans as well as motorcycles, he added.
On Nov. 18 Iranian media outlets quoted member of the Iranian parliament's Committee on Environment, Mehrdad Lahuti as saying over 4,000 people die each year in Tehran from diseases caused by air pollution.
Lahuti noted that the violation of permissible levels of air pollution in Tehran is a big problem for its residents and leads to an increase in the mortality rate.
According to him, vehicles are the main reason for the increase in air pollution in the capital. "Currently, 40 per cent of the population uses public transport, and 60 per cent use their own cars," Lahuti said.
According to international media outlets, Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Holidays were declared for Tehran's government agencies, organizations and schools due to air pollution. According to official statistics, currently 12-13 million people reside in Tehran.