During the cabinet meeting chaired by President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday evening, Head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization (IEPO) Masoumeh Ebtekar, briefed the cabinet members on the phenomenon of dust particles in the southwestern province of Khuzestan and some parts of western province of Ilam near the Iraqi border.
After considering various dimensions of the problem, the president issued an order, according to which, related authorities should examine the issue and prepare a report about outcome of their studies.
The order has asked Oil Ministry, Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, Head of the Environmental Protection Organization, head of Management and Planning Organization and Governor-General of Khuzestan to immediately study the issue and deliver the relevant report.
Iranian residents in the western and southwestern provinces, bordering Iraq, have been faced in recent years with a growing trend in the influx of fine particles, which are generated by drought-hit marshlands in neighboring countries.
The particles, carried by winds, can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing serious diseases such as lung cancer, asthma and heart problems.
