Beijing to adopt emergency measures to combat smog
China's capital is preparing new rules to cut down on the air pollution clogging up the city
Beijing is seeking to tame the spikes in its infamous smog by preparing emergency measures such as factory shutdowns and traffic limits to kick in when air pollution levels are especially heavy.
The city government said on Tuesday the strictest emergency measures will take effect when the pollution index for fine particulate matter, PM2.5, is forecast to exceed 300 micrograms per cubic metre for three days running.
Private vehicles will be allowed to operate only on alternating days, depending on the last number of their licence plates. Factory emissions will be cut 30 per cent by suspending or limiting production, and construction sites must halt excavation and demolition work. Classes will be suspended, a measure likely to cause inconvenience in a city where most parents both work.
Watch: The smog shrouding Beijing from atop the Forbidden City
The measures require precise pollution forecasting and timely public notification to be effective, and there was obvious scepticism in the questions asked by Chinese reporters at a briefing announcing the emergency measures.
They apply only to industries and individuals in Beijing, despite the fact that as much as 60 per cent of the city’s air pollution wafts in from neighbouring provinces, such as Hebei to the south.