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The government is now supplying Euro-4 quality gasoline to around two dozen cities. but plans are in place to expand retail sale of the high grade fuel to all Iranian cities within three years as part of efforts to reduce the worsening air pollution. Massoumeh Ebtekar. head of the Department of Environment says.
Currently 15 mega cities and 10 provincial capitals receive gasoline that meets Euro-4 emission standards. All provincial capitals are planned to receive Euro-4 gasoline in the next fiscal year (starts on March 21). Ebtekar said on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran on Tuesday. Iran has 31 provinces.
Euro-4 gasoline supplies will cover the whole country by 2020. Shana quoted her as saying.
According to Ebtekar. a comprehensive scheme was devised in 2000 to effectively rein in air pollution in Tehran and other metropolises. but the plan was shelved by the government of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
As a consequence. air pollution turned into a major environmental issue in the summer of 2013 by the time Ahmadinejad had left office. she noted.
The plan called for removing the old and dilapidated gas-guzzlers off the roads. measures for collecting toxic gasoline vapors at filling stations. promoting compressed natural gas (CNG) as a cleaner and cheaper fuel. expanding the number of CNG stations and conducting mandatory vehicle inspections. among other things.
Along with efforts to increase gasoline quality. the Rouhani administration has instructed automakers to make products that comply with the standard.
The effort to enhance gasoline quality comes on the back of long disputes over subpar quality of Iran`s gasoline which is said to be the main cause of more than 4.000 deaths annually in Tehran alone.
The DoE chief also sought to address complaints against the government for its handling of the worsening air pollution which has been conspicuous in the capital almost forever. especially in the winter seasons.
The issue is not confined to Iran. Ebtekar said. adding that major international cities such as Paris. London. Athens. Madrid. New Delhi and Beijing as well as 20 other Chinese cities have been plagued by severe air pollution in recent years.
DoE has declared that Iran’s seemingly unending struggle with air pollution costs the people around $30 billion a year. nearly double the $16 billion reported by the World Health Organization in 2014.
