Minister for Health S.Lambaa, Ulaanbaatar Mayor G.Munkhbayar and the President of the Science Academy B.Enkhtuvshin told yesterday’s joint meeting of two Standing Committees, the first on the Budget and the second on Social Policy, Education, Culture and Science, that air and smoke pollution in the capital has reached a disastrous level. A study has revealed that 56 percent of all illnesses among 0-16-year-old children were caused by dust, ten percent of pregnancies ended in a stillbirth, the number of births with defects increased. 8.2 percent, and 4,200 cancer cases affected the lungs. The lead in many children’s blood has been found to exceed the permissible level. All this can be attributed to the pollution.

All were agreed that it was imperative to build apartments in ger districts and to increase the supply of electricity. Some MPs proposed that the Prime Minister should be given the task, and should be dismissed if he failed to tackle the smoke menace. Minister for Nature, Environment and Tourism L.Gansukh said some short-term strategy had to be adopted. The Government was asked to submit to Parliament its suggestions before February 1.

Figures reveal that some 90,000 Mongolians get respiratory diseases each year and spend about MNT 4.8 billion on treatment. Ulaanbaatar residents account for 40.2 percent of them. MNT 2.4 billion was spent by the state to treat 36,400 patients. According to the Health Minister, the number would increase to 42,000 by 2015 and MNT 5 billion would have to be spent unless serious action is taken.

Mayor Munkhbayar said 154,600 households in ger districts, three power stations, 137,000 vehicles and 1,400 small and medium low-pressure steam furnaces are the main emitters of smoke. They burn six million tons of coal, 240 cubic meters of wood and release 260,000 tons of toxicants in the air each year, which works out to every citizen inhaling 243.6 kg of toxicants. The number of ger district residents is increasing each year and the ger regions have grown 17.9 percent or 1,165 acres more compared to the previous year. Altogether 40,100 household apartments were built between 2004 and 2009, but the same period saw 221,100 new citizens or 52,600 families arrive in the capital city. The Mayor said 75,000 family apartments are planned to be built between 2010 and 2015 as part of the “100,000 apartments” program, at a cost of MNT1.4 trillion.

MNT5 billion has been allocated for making studies and for constructing a coked coal factory this year. If the factory with a capacity of 1 million tons a year is built in Baganuur, it would be possible to ban coal import to Ulaanbaatar in and after 2011.

The President of the Science Academy said the experiment to heat gers using electricity has proved to be successful. Ger district residents spend more money during the winter despite earning less than residents in apartments. An apartment resident spends MNT 120,000-MNT180,000 each winter, while ger district citizens need more than MNT700,00 for coal and firewood. Also, apartment residents pay MNT0.1 for one liter of water while ger district residents buy their water from wells at a much higher rate.

Ger districts not only contribute so much to air pollution, they also pollute the soil by their toilet arrangements. The meeting reiterated the urgent need to turn ger districts into apartment areas.