TEHRAN – Some 3,000 forest protection teams will be on standby nationwide during Noruz holidays, starting on March 21, to fight any damage to natural resources, said the commander of the forest protection unit of Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization.

Unfortunately, “serious” damages are imposed on the country’s natural resources every year during Noruz holidays by tourists, ISNA quoted Qasem Sabzali as saying on Wednesday.

Also, the fact that some governmental bodies which are responsible for punishing offenders are closed during holidays adds to the problem, he highlighted.

He went on to say that people can call the hotline 1504 to report any harm to natural resources they witness.

“Some 15,000 hectares of forest burn in wildfires annually in Iran, while 95 percent of these are caused by humans,” Sabzali concluded.

MAH/MQ/MG