Tehran to host Climathon 2019

TEHRAN – Tehran Municipality plans to hold programs in line with Climathon 2019 on October 24-25, looking for optimal solutions for issues such as air pollution and waste management.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Choked by air pollution, Shahr-e Rey struggling to survive

TEHRAN – As several cities in Tehran province are experiencing severe air pollution, high concentration of industrial and residential units as well as large amounts of emissions produced by vehicles and landfill sites are among the major sources of pollutants choking the ancient city of Shahr-e Rey, southern Tehran.

Tehraners breathe 18 days of foul air in summer: report

TEHRAN – Tehran air quality index (AQI) reached an unhealthy level of pollution for 18 days during summer, according to a report published by the Tehran Air Quality Control Company.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

World Car-Free Day: costly cars, cheap fuel to blame for air pollution 

TEHRAN – Air pollution incurs financial loss of about 140 million rials (nearly $3,300) for each family in Iran annually, however both high-priced vehicles and low-cost fuel are to blame for the air pollution severely haunting big cities of the country, said Behzad Ashjaei, secretary of the technical inspection committee of the Department of Environment.

Tehran’s traffic jam drops by 52%

TEHRAN – Traffic congestion in the traffic zones of Tehran has declined by 52 percent over the Iranian calendar month of Mordad (July 23-August 22) compared to the same period last year, according to the data released by the Tehran Traffic Control Company.

Tehran bus fleet delivers 165 million rides within 4 months

TEHRAN – The bus transport system in the metropolis of Tehran has delivered over 165 million rides during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), Tehran bus operating company's managing director Peyman Sanandaji has said.

$20m earmarked to mitigate SDSs in Sistan-Baluchestan

TEHRAN - A total budget of 865 billion (nearly $20.5 million) has been allocated to counter sand and dust storms (SDSs) hitting southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, Ali Mohammad Tahmasebi, head of the national working group for SDSs mitigation, has said.

SDSs haunting southeastern Iran, dozens hospitalized

TEHRAN – Severe sand and dust storms (SDSs) has left 127 patients hospitalized due to respiratory problems in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, head of provincial disaster mitigation and management organization has said.

Tehran’s traffic congestion reduced by 6% last month

TEHRAN – The newly initiated traffic scheme has reduced the capital’s traffic jam by 6 percent during the Iranian calendar month of Tir (June 22-July 22), Mohsen Pourseyed Aqaei, CEO of Transportation and Traffic Organization affiliated to the municipality, has said.

Old taxis soon reach up to 192,000

TEHRAN – There are currently 150,000 clunker taxis in the country, which will reach up to 192,000 by the end of this year (March 2020), Morteza Zameni, director general of urban taxi drivers union has said.

DOE strongly rejects reproduction of carbureted motorcycles

TEHRAN – While the production of carbureted-engine motorcycles has come to a halt in the country, some motorcycle manufacturing companies are trying to put the highly polluting vehicles into production again, but the Department of Environment (DOE) strongly opposed.

Provincial DOE cracking down on polluting industrial units

TEHRAN – The department of environment (DOE) of Semnan province is cracking down on polluting industries as 2 units in the province have been identified for failing to control their pollutant emissions, provincial DOE chief has announced.

25% of cars failed inspection tests in Tehran

TEHRAN – Some 25 percent of vehicles which referred to technical inspection centers in Tehran to receive inspection stickers have failed the tests due to producing high level of emissions, managing director of Tehran Vehicle Inspection Company affiliated to Tehran Municipality has said.

Tehran experiences clean, healthy air for 102 days

TEHRAN – According to the Air Quality Control Company, 102 days of clean and good air quality have been reported in the capital since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21).

$285m from traffic taxes earmarked to curb air pollution

TEHRAN – A total budget of 12 trillion rials (about $285 million) from traffic tax income has been allocated to curb air pollution in the metropolis of Tehran, YJC news agency reported on Tuesday.

Carbureted motorcycles main source of ozone pollutants in Tehran

TEHRAN – Following consistent ozone pollution in Tehran’s hot season, motorcycles running on carbureted engines are considered as the main contributors to air pollution, Khabaronline reported on Wednesday.

‘Vehicle inspection curbs air pollution up to 25%’

TEHRAN – Vehicle inspection can contribute to air pollution mitigation by 15 to 25 percent, Tehran City Council member, Arash Milani, said.

Summer heats foster air pollution spikes in Tehran

TEHRAN – Tehraners breathed foul air not experiencing a single day of clean air since the beginning of summer (June 22), Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.

74,000 ha in Tehran prone to raise SDSs

TEHRAN – Some 74,000 hectares of southern and southwestern part of the capital are prone to give raise to sand and dust storms (SDSs), the provincial Department of Environment chief has stated.

‘Trees, vegetation not a solution to urban air pollution’

TEHRAN – Many facts indicate that, contrary to the public impression of particles and emissions are absorbed and filtered by trees and plants in cities, there is no significant effect on the reduction of pollutants at a city scale, Mohammad Reza Momeni, an expert in the field of air pollution and climate change told ISNA on Saturday.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

High ozone brings serious air pollution to Tehran’s summer

TEHRAN – Tehran air quality reached a level which was unhealthy for sensitive groups for about 7 days due to ozone pollutant; as the statistics show concentration of this pollutant increases in the capital mostly during summer, so, ground level ozone became the main contributor to pollution in the capital’s hot seasons.

Bikes to hold 3.5% share in Tehran transportation

TEHRAN – Bikes will carry out 3.5 percent of the capital’s total transportation, as the national document on bike transport development has proposed, deputy mayor for traffic and transport affairs at Tehran Municipality has stated.

Air pollution responsible for over 4,000 deaths annually in Tehran

TEHRAN – Some 4,000 to 5,000 of people residing in the country’s capital lose their lives per year due to air pollution, according to statistics published by the ministry of health.

Clunker, diesel cars elimination, gasoline vapor cut effective solutions to curb ozone pollution

TEHRAN – Due to an increased concern about the influence of ozone emissions on human health and on the capital’s air quality, notably gasoline vapor emissions at petrol stations must be reduced, clunker cars should be scrapped and diesel vehicles also have to be discarded, Tehran Air Quality Control Company caretaker said.

Iran observes national environment week

TEHRAN – The national environment week is being observed in the country from June 9-15, a few days after World Environment Day held annually on June 5, Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.

$1.5b required to complete Tehran subway lines 6, 7: CEO

TEHRAN — In order to complete the construction project of lines 6 and 7 of Tehran Metro a budget of 60 trillion rials (nearly $1.5 billion) is needed, Ali Emam, the CEO of Tehran Urban & Suburban Railway Operation Company has said.

Iranian DOE succeeded in monitoring dioxin, furan emissions

TEHRAN – Dioxin and furan, highly toxic persistent organic pollutants, have been sampled for the first time in an attempt by experts, head of environmental pollutants monitoring office at the Department of Environment (DOE) said.

Iranian company manufactures nano air filter for cars

TEHRAN – An Iranian knowledge-based company has manufactured nano air filter for vehicles, which can decrease air pollution by 20 percent, ISNA reported on Friday.

Tehran Municipality to convert petrol taxis into hybrid electric

TEHRAN — Tehran taxi organization, affiliated to the municipality, is planning on converting petrol taxis to plug-in hybrids, the organization CEO, Alireza Qannadan, has said.

Iran, Norway to enhance co-op in environmental issues

TEHRAN – Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) chief, Issa Kalantari, and Norway’s ambassador to Iran, Lars Nordum, discussed increased cooperation on environmental issues during a meeting held on Monday.