Iran Trying to Cope with Environmental Crisis in Southwest

As Iranian people are grappling with a dangerous dust pollution crisis in southwestern province of Khuzestan, the country’s administration and parliament are taking several measures to resolve this problem.

Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati travelled to Khuzestan as the representative of Iranian President and his administration on Tuesday morning, according to a Farsi report by ISNA.

He has been assigned to cope with the dust problem by controlling its domestic origins.

At the beginning of his mission, Hojjati visited the origins of the dust pollution in a 130,000ha area in southern and eastern Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan.

The representatives of Khuzestan in Iran’s Parliament also met Ali Larijani, the Parliament Speaker, on February 15, according to a Farsi report by ICANA.

Pointing to the history of Khuzestan in the Islamic Revolution, the representatives complained about the Iranian authorities’ failure to address the province’s problems.

They called for immediate action to cope with the crisis, conveying Khuzestan people’s discontent with current problematic situation: environmental issues, the dust pollution, water shortage, defective water system in some areas, and insufficient funds.

They called for a workgroup to sort out these various problems by taking swift and serious measures.

“There may be problems with the constructional funds,” Larijani affirmed, “As they aren’t properly allocated in Iran. With a population of 80 million, 90% of the state’s budget is spent on current costs, leaving only 10% for the construction.”

“It was agonizing to see the dust pollution and the following power and water cut in Khuzestan,” he stressed, confirming Khuzestan’s grave situation.