Closure of schools in Tehran extended due to alarming air pollution

Kindergartens and schools will remain closed for a second consecutive day on Tuesday due to heavy air pollution, Press TV reported on Monday.

Tehran Province's Air Pollution Exigency Committee decided in a meeting on Monday to keep kindergartens and primary schools shut in most of the cities in Tehran Province, including the capital, for another day on Tuesday, the report said.

The air pollution in Tehran, with over 12 million population, is more than three times the level considered safe.

The committee also extended restrictions on the movement of cars in Tehran, and people were advised not to participate in group exercises in parks and green spaces.

Officials said the pollution was expected to stay above Tehran until Wednesday when winds are expected to move the stagnant air.

In the past years, Iran's government and parliament made several efforts to solve Tehran's air pollution, including imposing restrictions on the city's traffic flow, passing measures urging safer fuel and replacing old, inefficient cars with new ones. Endit