The Ministry of Industries has recently issued a permit for mining activity in Muteh Wildlife Refuge in Isfahan Province despite objection by the Department of Environment.
The head of the provincial DOE office Rahman Daniali told reporters that the department is totally against any mineral extractions within the protected area.
"Operating a mine in the area has been a matter of discussion for years and the DOE has objected to it from the outset," he was quoted as saying by ILNA.
He expressed regret that the permit has been granted without a letter of notification to the DOE.
"We are pursuing the case and, as I said, are firmly opposed to such operations in the wildlife refuge," he said.
The outpouring of surprise at allowing such wanton intrusion into a protected area has reached Isfahan's City Council as well. Mehdi Moqaddari, spokesperson for the council, raised the topic in a recent session warning that the move will be censured by the public as irresponsible and will create general distrust of ruling entities.
Outlandish Decision
"It is said that 90% of the country's wildlife population have disappeared and further encroachment into natural habitats will destroy the remaining plant and animal species," ISNA quoted him as saying.
According to the official, any interference with the protected area, even as insignificant as cutting a thornbush, is against DOE regulations; therefore, "permitting industrial operations seems strange."
He explained that the mining installations, construction of roads and a 36-hectare excavation site as well as explosions will render the region insecure for wildlife and eventually drive them away.
"Muteh is part of the country's million-year genetic reserve which would be ruined due to this project," he said.
Besides, the mine will block the animal's migration path, restricting them to a limited area which increases death risks in case of epidemic outbreaks, Moqaddari further noted.
The subject seems irrelevant to the City Council, but the official explained that besides threats to wildlife, the dust rising from extractions will affect the residents of Isfahan who are already struggling with the growing scourge of dust storms.
"This permit can prompt other public and private institutions to use their authority to get a green light for encroaching into the last remaining natural reserves," he warned, adding that failure to stop the project would open the floodgates for more such cases.
He called on the governor general of Isfahan and other relevant authorities to revise the document.
Covering an area of about 220,000 hectares 95 km north of Isfahan, Muteh Wildlife Refuge is the greatest habitat of deer in Iran. It is home to 511 species of vascular plants and 117 species of vertebrate animals.
