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Iran enumerates causes of dust storm

Business Materials 15 February 2015 18:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Managing Director of the National Plan on Climate Change of the Iranian Environment Protection Organization Mohsen Naseri has said that a long array of factors have caused the recent dust storm that swept across western Iran a few days ago, ISNA news agency reported Feb. 15.

"Part of the dust comes from areas in western Iraq, such as al-Ramadi and Qaryat al Anwar," he said.

Also, unbridled actions in water resources management, lack of plans and order in regard to the agricultural water resources and foreign resources as well have all had roles in affecting western Iran," he said.

Naseri refuted allegations that the Iranian government and other organizations have remained indifferent to the issue and said that the Environment Protection Organization has carried out many research projects in cooperation with scholarly centers as well as operational projects with related organizations.

"This was not created overnight. It was created in the course of years and cannot be dealt with quickly. It is a pity that some political parties try to agitate the public about the issue and create unrealistic demands of the Environment Protection Organization," he said.

Naseri also said that starting this water year, farmers tilled the ground expecting precipitation as usual. But as there was very little precipitation, the dust was raised by local winds, which contribute to the dust storm.

"What there is in Ahvaz (capital of the western province of Khuzestan) today is of this kind of dust because its quick settlement indicates that it is of a different kind than the dust that swept the area two years ago," he asserted.

The worst dust storm in the area was reported 2 weeks ago with 10 thousand microgram per cubic meter of dust in air, 66 times the healthy limit.

Heavy dust storm in Ahvaz forced officials to call off the afternoon school sessions Jan. 27.

In recent years, dust storms in the western part of Iran have grown in frequency and density. It has on occasions caused people serious respiratory problems, sometimes even forcing them to seek hospital care.

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