Armenian oppositionist: Air pollution causes approximately 8 million  deaths worldwide each year

ArmInfo.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes approximately 8 million deaths worldwide each year. Garnik Danielyan, a member of the Armenian parliament from the opposition "Armenia" faction, wrote  on his Facebook page, addressing the dangerous  situation in Yerevan due to air pollution in the capital, amid the  inaction of the Armenian authorities.

The MP called environmentalists' concerns about the situation in  Yerevan appropriate and noted that it is supported by data from  the  Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center and the Swiss air monitoring  company IQAir. He pointed out that, according to these data, some  districts of the capital are experiencing unprecedented levels of air  pollution on various days. Furthermore, the MP noted that in recent  days, the air pollution index in the Avan-Arinj neighborhood has  reached 708 points, the highest level in the world.

"The health of our citizens, parents, and children is at stake," the  MP emphasized. According to Danielyan, if this continues, the country  could soon top the list of countries with the highest levels of air  pollution.  However, as the opposition leader noted, instead of  taking urgent measures, the Armenian authorities are justifying the  situation by citing the region's geography. "As if they aren't the  ones issuing permits for the construction of high-rises on every  available land in the capital, or allowing  mass cutting of healthy  trees," Danielyan stated.

The MP outlined the specific measures the current government should  have taken to prevent this situation.  He also pointed out the issue  of using cars without catalytic converters (designed to clean harmful  exhaust gases - ed.). Danielyan cited the large-scale fires that have  broken out in recent days in various regions of Armenia as another  cause of air pollution.

In this regard, the MP called on citizens to demand that the  authorities take effective steps to reduce the high levels of air  pollution. "This is their responsibility, and they cannot escape it,"  the MP concluded.