Head of Environmental Protection Organisation: Iranian gasoline not in compliance with international standards

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.5

By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:

Gasoline produced in Iran does not comply with international standards, head of the Environmental Protection Organisation, Massoumeh Ebtekar said on Dec.5, IRNA agency reported.

Ebtekar accused the government of ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of failing to meet obligations on fuel standardization.

"At one time, due attention was not given to the quality of produced vehicles and fuel. Currently, these issues are strictly regulated," Ebtekar stressed.

Iran consumes over 60 million liters of gasoline per day, while Iran's refineries produce 44.7 million liters per day.

In recent years, air pollution in Tehran and other areas including Khuzestan and Esfahan, reached a critical point. Thus, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani yesterday gave a special directive to address air pollution in Tehran.

Vehicles are the main reason for air pollution in Tehran, only 40 percent of the capital's population use public transport, while 60 percent use their personal car.

According to international media, Tehran is in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. Due to excessive air pollution in the city, schools and organizations have repeatedly declared holidays. According to official data, 12-13 million people reside in Tehran.