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TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The air pollution in the Iranian capital of Tehran has reached an alarming level as the countermeasures have proved to be ineffective, Press TV reported on Saturday.
Tehran's governor office announced the closure of schools and kindergartens on Saturday, but it did not help much in alleviating the problem.
The capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) was reported at 154 and declared as "unhealthy" for people of all ages, the report said.
Tehran, with over 12 million population, is currently shrouded in a thick grey blanket of smog and suffering low visibility.
According to Press TV, emergency services are on full alert and residents, especially those with cardiac and respiratory problems and pregnant women, have been highly advised to remain indoors.
Since November, closure of schools in Tehran has been extended a number of times due to the alarming air pollution.
Authorities have 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.
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.
