Dust covers 20 provinces; 355 people were hospitalized in Sistan and Baluchestan
Following the resurgence of dust in many provinces of Iran, dozens of people went to medical centers in Sistan and Baluchestan province.
The Sistan and Baluchestan Crisis Management Headquarters announced on Thursday, July 6, that over the course of two days, 355 people in the Sistan region have visited medical centers and hospitals due to the consequences of dust, and 48 of these people have been hospitalized.
On Wednesday, July 5, the Meteorological Organization reported strong winds accompanied by dust for two days in 20 provinces of the country.
The organization also warned about dust and wind conditions in some provinces, including Sistan and Baluchestan, and an increase in wave heights on the coast and offshore between two and three meters from Thursday, July 6 to Saturday, July 8.
Simultaneously with these warnings, Sistan province offices were closed on Wednesday, and the start time in the five cities of the province was changed to 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Regarding the latest dust situation in Iran, meteorologist Amir Hossein Naghshineh, in an interview with ISNA news agency, described the origin of the dust in the western and southwestern regions of the country as "external" and in other regions as "internal," adding that the dust currently circulating in the country will create an "unhealthy" situation in some areas and a "very unhealthy" situation in some areas.
According to Mr. Naghshineh, the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Semnan, West Khuzestan, Ilam, East and South Khorasan Razavi, North and East Isfahan, and East Kerman are experiencing greater intensity of dust, and in these areas, a severe reduction in visibility and the possibility of damage to dust-sensitive facilities, the agricultural industry, and the possibility of flight cancellations are predicted.
The dust system, whose main foci are in Iran's western neighboring countries, occasionally enters the country and usually covers a wide area of the country. However, according to experts and officials, domestic foci of fine dust are also rapidly expanding in Iran.
Abbas Ali Nobakht, the new head of Iran's Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization, announced on July 25 a 66 percent increase in desert provinces in the country, saying that the number of desert provinces in Iran has increased from 14 at the beginning of the 20-year vision plan to about 21 provinces now, and that the number of critical areas for fine dust has also increased to 43 percent.
Climate change, the occurrence of numerous droughts, improper management of water and soil resources, reduction of vegetation cover, and unscientific exploitation of agricultural lands are the most important factors in soil erosion and the occurrence of dust storms and fine dust.
Despite all the warnings, due to the lack of preparedness of regional countries, including Iran, over the years the time intervals for the formation of this phenomenon have become shorter and its scope has extended to all seasons of the year.
Source: Radio Farda
