Tehran Faces Severe Air Quality Crisis
Air quality in Tehran has reportedly plummeted to “unhealthy” and “alarming” levels, prompting both government and outside experts to sound the alarm. Last week, authorities advised residents to remain indoors to safeguard their health.
The Tehran Air Quality Control Authority highlighted the need for vulnerable groups—like the elderly, children, and those with heart or lung conditions—to limit their outings as much as possible.
In response to the deteriorating conditions, government offices and businesses have been encouraged to reduce staffing levels and allow employees to work from home. Schools across the city have also been forced to close down.
Measures have been taken to curb traffic in Tehran, aiming to lessen harmful emissions. This has led to a notable increase in the number of women on motorcycles—perhaps a response to the inability of men to drive them, due to cultural restrictions usually in place in Iran.
The seriousness of the situation was underscored by a deputy to Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, who candidly remarked, “if air pollution continues to worsen, we will die.”
Moreover, the director of Tehran Emergency Services recently reported that at least 357 individuals have died in just the past eight days due to air pollution-related complications. His agency has been inundated with emergency calls from those struggling to cope with the toxic air.
On Sunday, it was noted that air quality in Tehran was among the worst globally, even exceeding that of New Delhi, which is often cited for its dangerous air. In other Iranian cities, air quality alerts classified as “orange” indicate an unhealthy environment for sensitive populations.
Tehran is also grappling with a significant water crisis, which may potentially necessitate a partial evacuation of the city. The overlapping weather patterns leading to drought are exacerbating pollution accumulation, raising concerns that poor management by officials has rendered Tehran an increasingly unlivable space.
