TEHRAN -- Unsteady earth and grey sky is making many people living in Tehran to spend heavy days. While Tehran has been grappling with persisting air pollution in recent weeks, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit the city on December 21.

The face of the city has not changed after all. Tehran’s streets are still full of cars and the city of restless nights are still alive. However, here and there you can overhear dialogues between people who are apprehensive about the fate of their city and themselves.

Maybe the recent situation in the metropolitan gives us a prod that we are a part of nature that we live in. it reminds us that how much the ultimate fate of the earth we walk on and our fate are mingled with each other.

The Mother Earth, like all mothers you know, is more generous than we think. However, the natural world is much mightier than we can imagine.

Though one cannot ignore the role of macro policies implemented by the government, a responsible citizen can propel policy makers to care about environment more than before.

No matter we live in a luxury penthouse apartment in a metropolitan or in a farmhouse in a field in village, we should be aware that environment is not created for us.

People who live in big cities are surrounded by buildings, malls and highways more than natural world and this may cause them to ignore domino effects in nature.

However, the nature is not only forest, sea and desert. The air you breathe, the water you consume and trees on the sideline of street are a part of nature.

Due to overpopulation in Tehran, the city is grappling with numerous environmental problems. The continuous debates on air pollution and other environmental issues turn them into a matter of routine for many of us.

The point is that we cannot take nature for granted. Environmental problems like several days of air pollution and waste mismanagement damage nature we are a part of.

May be it is the time to hear the voice of Tehran. A city which for many of us is associated with good memories and generously house us with all injustice we do against it. The city we love and we are proud of.

*The title of article is inspired by a book titled “Once again, the town that I loved”, written by Iranian author Nader Ebrahimi

SB/MQ/MG