DUSHANBE (Asia-Plus) — Tajikistan is set to ban vehicles manufactured before the year of 2005 in bid to combat effects of environmental pollution.

The deputy head of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Azim Tursunzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on January 26 that President Emomali Rahmon has ordered to study the issue of banning importation of vehicles manufactured before 2005.

According to him, the head of state is seriously concerned over the effects of car pollutants on the environment and congested traffic in Dushanbe. “Relevant bodies are currently studying this issue,” Tursunzoda added.

Outdoor air pollution causes more than 3 mln deaths a year in the world — more than malaria and HIV/Aids — and is now the biggest single killer. The toll is expected to double as urban populations increase and car numbers approach 2 bln by 2050.

The new data, drawn from city and academic records, shows a rapid deterioration in air quality as low-income cities grow unchecked and populations become unable to escape clouds of smog and soot from transport, industry, construction sites, farming and wood-burning in homes.

Outdoor air pollution has grown 8% globally in the past five years, with billions of people around the world now exposed to dangerous air, according to new data from more than 3,000 cities compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO). While all regions are affected, fast-growing cities in the Middle East, south-east Asia and the western Pacific are the most impacted with many showing pollution levels at five to 10 times above WHO recommended levels.

China, which has been plagued by air pollution, has improved its air quality since 2011 and now has only five cities in the top 30. Nine other countries, including Pakistan and Iran, have one city each in the worst 30.