Iranian MPs Propose Motion to Fight Dust Pollution

Speaking to Tasnim, Hassan Soleimani said the motion, signed by 40 lawmakers, has been submitted to the presiding board of the Parliament.

“According to the motion, the administration will be obliged to take practical measures in line with the fight against dust particles and should submit reports on its measures to the parliament,” added Soleimani, who represents the people of Kangavar, western province of Kermanshah, in the Parliament.

The dust pollution blanketing the country, particularly western provinces, in recent weeks had reached “dangerous” levels, environmental officials said.

Director-General of Tehran Province’s Environmental Protection Department Mohammad Hadi Heydarzadeh told Tasnim earlier that particles polluting the country are coming from Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

This is not the first time that residents of the western and south-western provinces are facing a growing trend in the influx of fine particles, which are generated by drought-hit marshlands in neighbouring countries. The disruptive dust storms have pushed pollution in those border areas to alarming levels, raising health concerns.

The particles, carried by winds, can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing serious diseases such as lung cancer, asthma and heart problems.