TEHRAN – Hossein Hassani of the Majlis Health Committee has blamed the domestically manufactured cars and motorcycles for the choking air pollution in Tehran and some other major cities.

Fuel inefficient cars and motorcycles which are produced by the domestic manufacturers don’t conform to international environmental standards and are the main culprits for the air pollution, Hassani said on Thursday.
“If two antipollution devices namely catalytic convertor and canister are fitted to the cars, the cars will produce much less pollution,” he said.
But the carmakers don’t fulfill their obligations in this regard, he added.
He went on to say that the government has fully supported the domestic carmakers and most of people have no option but buying cars from these companies, but they don’t care about people’s lives and make cars that “emit pollution as much as a locomotive.”
Hassani also called on officials to keep their promises and take necessary measures to resolve the issue of air pollution.
“This year, the air pollution in Tehran killed thousands of people, and certainly the next year the situation will become worse,” he added.
Heavy air pollution has gripped Tehran over the past month, disrupting life in the capital and leading to a rise in the number respiratory attacks.
Officials took some stopgap measures like closing schools, universities, and government offices and imposing special traffic restrictions, but the problem was not resolved and the pollution is still persistent.