Iranian parliament to mull moving capital from crowded Tehran

If proposal is accepted, lawmakers will convene committee to scout potential new locations

By AP 24 December 2013, 2:12 pm

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Tehran skyline (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-109070147/stock-photo-tehran-skyline-with-panoramic-view-of-the-city.html?src=Pzj9p4T_2AAgQYwB4xFQUQ-1-0 via Shutterstock)

TEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian parliament is considering a proposal to pick another city as the nation’s capital and move the seat of the government from the overcrowded and heavily polluted Tehran.

Iran’s official news agency IRNA said Tuesday that if the lawmakers accept the proposal, a council would be set up and spend the next two years studying which alternate location would be best.

There was no indication in the proposal what locations could be considered.

The greater Tehran area has a population of 12 million and suffers from a score of urban problems such as heavy pollution, traffic jams and a high crime rate.

Its residents have tripled in number over the past decade as more and more Iranians moved into the city in search of jobs and a better life.