November 15-2013
Rising air pollution prompted Tehran province to close all its elementary schools and kindergartens from Sunday through Tuesday this week.
It was the first such closure this winter—and winter was still six weeks away.
Government agencies did not close, but shortened their working hours Monday and Tuesday as pollution levels rose.
In addition, alternate-day driving restrictions were imposed for private vehicles based on plate numbers—even-numbered plates on even-numbered days, odd-numbered plates on odd-numbered days.
Pollution is a problem every winter and schools and government offices are normally closed for a few days one to three times a winter. This is an unusually early start for the pollution season, however.
A constant woe for the eight million residents of the Iranian capital, pollution is blamed primarily on cars that have limited pollution controls and factories that spew out pollutants.
The geography of the Tehran region—nestled up against the Alborz mountains—tends to trap pollutants in the city, much the same problems that impacts Los Angeles.
The poor air quality is likely exacerbated by reliance on domestic production of petrol of a low quality, although the government constantly denies that.
Efforts to boost public transport, including extending the Metro and establishing lanes for buses only, have barely dented the problem because of the rapidly growing number of cars, until this past year when sanctions caused auto output to plunge.
The pollution problem isn‘t just in Tehran. Four Iranian cities are among the world’s 10 most polluted, with Ahvaz topping the world.
Dozens of Ahvazis were hospitalized last week and thousands rushed to get medical assistance as pollution levels there soared.