Yerevan municipality elaborates air pollution control programme 

ArmInfo.The problem with  air pollution is more than obvious in the capital of Armenia,  Yerevan. This was announced on December 16 at a working meeting in  the capital's municipality by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan. He  instructed the responsible persons to develop a four-year program  aimed at solving the problem. 

The document should be submitted for approval to the municipality in  two months. The program, as Avinyan noted, should present the main  areas of work to improve the situation with air pollution. "It should  contain all the points aimed at solving the problem in detail. I  expect that the program will be presented in two months," the  capital's mayor said.

Earlier the Yerevan Municipality responded to the wave of indignation  in the Armenian segment of social networks regarding the high level  of air pollution in Yerevan. "Every year in Yerevan in the winter  months, due to unfavorable meteorological conditions, there is an  increase in the level of smog. This is also evidenced by the data of  air quality monitoring devices installed by the Yerevan Municipality  since 2022.  During this period, the main sources of air pollution  (construction, transport, operation of open mines) are added to the  combustion of various types of fuel for heating, which leads to an  increase in dust and smoke in the air," the municipality said in a  statement.

It is noted that in areas with a predominance of private homes, this  significantly increases the level of air pollution, since in addition  to natural gas, residents also burn firewood, various objects and  waste. "We call on citizens to refrain from burning waste generated  as a result of production, consumption or leaf fall in the natural  environment or in populated areas, or in their vicinity, or in other  places not intended for their combustion, or in furnaces, since this  entails the application of liability measures," the city authorities  warn.  It is also emphasized that the main factor providing  ventilation of the city are mountain valley winds, which cease from  the end of October and do not blow until March.

"Considering these circumstances and the high background air  pollution in the capital, the Yerevan Municipality is discussing with  authorized state bodies the possibility of taking additional  preventive measures during the winter months in order to reduce  pollution levels," the municipality said.