TEHRAN — It is the best idea to turn the Department of Environment into a ministry in order to be accountable for existing serious environmental predicaments, the vice chairman of the environment group of the Majlis, Mehrdad Ba’ouj Lahouti, said.

“Currently, the department of environment is not an accountable organization. We are concerned about the environment and the concern is increased day by day,” Ba’ouj Lahuti said in an interview with the Fars news agency.

The escalating environmental problems such as lakes and lagoons which are drying out one by one, the jungles which catch fire from time to time, the endangered biodiversity of the country, the persistent air pollution, and many other environmental damages have aroused concerns for some years now.

“I strongly disagree with the Department of Environment merger with another ministry as I deem it highly offensive to the environment,” he said stating that, “currently the environment is endangered and at this critical stage the merger would underestimate its importance.”

“We will definitely support the plan. As all the infrastructures for turning the department into a ministry are already in place, we have no concerns for financing the plan,” the MP highlighted.

Besides raising public awareness of the significance of the matter, plays a key role in protecting the environment, he noted.

MQ