Ulan Bator, Dec 20 (IANS): The Mongolian government declared a heightened state of preparedness on Friday in response to severe air pollution, traffic congestion, and other pressing issues in the nation's capital, Ulan Bator.
"We must collectively recognize that Ulan Bator is facing unprecedented challenges, including severe air pollution, traffic congestion, and energy shortages. These issues have reached a critical point," said Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene at a press conference. "For this reason, we are placing the capital under an elevated state of alert starting today."
Oyun-Erdene emphasised the necessity of creating a special legal framework to address the critical challenges facing the capital.
He noted that it would be appropriate to present this issue to the State Great Khural (Mongolia's parliament) as an urgent matter.
The prime minister also called on all citizens and organizations to actively support and cooperate with the government in implementing solutions to these pressing problems.
Ulan Bator was originally built to have 500,000 residents. However, the city is now the home to around half of the country's population of 3.5 million.
More than half of Ulan Bator's residents live in its ger districts, with no running water, central heating or sewerage systems.
Deteriorating air quality mostly driven by processed fuel-based heating has sparked growing public concerns in the capital city as residents embrace usually harsh winter conditions, Xinhua news agency reported.
PM 2.5 levels in both the ger districts and central areas of the city far exceed the World Health Organization's recommended safety limits during winter.
In addition to air pollution, traffic congestion remains one of Ulan Bator's biggest challenges as the city currently has 720,000 registered vehicles.
Meanwhile, Mongolia faces such severe power shortages during winters that the capital is forced to implement power rationing measures to prevent the risk of a complete blackout. In recent days, Ulan Bator has implemented measures to limit power by districts and time of day.