Iran to shut govt offices, colleges and schools in Tehran due to air pollution
Iran announced Tuesday that all governmental offices, universities, and schools in the province of Tehran will be closed for two days because of poor air quality, state TV reported.
The capital city of Tehran — home to over 10 million people — saw the closure of elementary schools and kindergartens on Saturday and Sunday, but authorities said Tuesday that because of increasing pollution, all governmental offices, universities and schools will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, adding that schooling will continue on online platforms.
The TV report also said that banks, essential public services and health centers would remain open on those days.
Authorities also announced that schools and universities in neighboring Alborz province, and the central province of Isfahan will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Iran, schools usually work from Saturday to Wednesday.
On Tuesday visibility was low in Tehran, and authorities warned of poor air quality and advised the elderly, sick, and children to take extra precautions.
From time to time, authorities respond to the pollution with similar measures.
Tehran’s air quality is among the worst in the world. The smog is mostly caused by heavy traffic due to millions of fuel-burning cars, motorbikes and factory emissions. It worsens during the cold season because of a lack of wind and rain.
The city is surrounded by tall hills and mountains on three sides. Cold, stagnant air settles in the valley, trapping automotive and other emissions that cannot escape.
In July 2022, schools and government offices closed in Iran’s capital and several other cities in the country, after a sandstorm blanketed Tehran and the surrounding region.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
