Iranian MP Questions Report on 400 Per Cent Increase in Pollution Related Deaths

Text of report by Iranian newspaper Sharq website on 31 December

A Majlis deputy from Tehran, Abbasali Mokhtari, has responded to a recent date showing a 400-per cent increase – compared to last year – in the number of those who died in Tehran during October, November and December from respiratory complications, caused by air pollution and smog.

When asked what the MPs from Tehran planned to do about the data released by Behesht-e Zahra Organization [cemetery] regarding the large number of deaths due to respiratory illnesses, Mokhtari, who is also a member of the Developers Coalition [Abadgran], said: Those who collect and publish such data, which draws a correlation between an increase in the number of those dead from respiratory complications and air pollution, must provide the necessary explanation and identify the cause. This is not a job for the Majlis.