Hebei man ‘becomes first to sue government over smog’

A man living in a smoggy northern city in Hebei province has become the first person in the country to sue the government for failing to curb air pollution, a state-run newspaper reported.

The unusual lawsuit came as residents in Beijing queried why their city government did not suspend schools while Hebei set up special medical teams as a response to the prolonged spell of smog.

Li Guixin, who lives in Shijiazhuang, filed a legal complaint to a district court, asking the city's Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau to "perform its duty to control air pollution according to the law", the Yanzhao Metropolis Daily said.

He is also seeking compensation from the agency for residents over the choking pollution that has engulfed the city and much of the north of the mainland this winter.

"The reason that I'm proposing administrative compensation is to let every citizen see that amid this haze, we're the real victims," Li was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Li said he had spent money on face masks, an air purifier and a treadmill to get indoor exercise last December when the pollution was particularly severe.