Heavy smog continued to engulf Beijing and some of the other provinces in parts of China on Wednesday (December 9), a day after the capital city issues its first ever “red alert”, the highest of the four-color warning system for air pollution.
China’s capital issued a “red alert” late on Monday (December 7), predicting that Beijing would be shrouded in heavy smog from Tuesday (December 8) to Thursday (December 10). A red alert means that about half of vehicles will be taken off the roads, heavy vehicles will be banned, most schools will be advised to cancel classes, businesses are recommended to implement flexible working hours and all “large-scale, outdoor activities” should be stopped.
As of 12 p.m (0400 GMT) on Wednesday, the PM 2.5 reading – particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers that can penetrate deep into the lungs – in Beijing was at 276 in one of the monitoring spots across the city, according to Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center.
At levels higher than 300, residents are advised to remain indoors, government guidelines state.
Parents in Beijing were concerned of health risks due to the smog.
“(I’m) definitely worried. My kid is sick at home, whose throat does not feel comfortable. So it is a lot of trouble as we have to disrupt work in order to take our kid to see a doctor,” said Zhao Hui, a 34-year-old mother living in Beijing.
The government’s response system has come under particular scrutiny in the past week for not issuing a red alert after heavy, persistent smog exceeded hazardous levels on pollution indices.
“(The government) was probably inexperienced when the smog got very bad last time so it received lots of complaints and criticism. So it’s normal for (the government) to take precautionary measures (this time). However, the effectiveness of these measures is not very obvious,” said 38-year-old Wang Qi.
In an online statement, the Beijing city government ordered all outdoor construction work to stop on red alert days, and urged schools to close.
The city’s monitoring center said the smog in Beijing is expected to disperse on Thursday afternoon due to favorable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, Beijing’s neighboring Hebei province was placed on an “orange alert” since Tuesday, forcing some sections of the highway to temporarily close, China’s state television CCTV reported.
In Zhenzhou, the capital city of central Henan province, local authorities activated emergency measures, which included halting construction work and spraying water on construction sites, CCTV said.
Environmental Protection Minister Chen Jining vowed on Sunday (December 6) to punish agencies and officials for any failure to quickly implement a pollution emergency response plan, the state-run Global Times tabloid said.
Chinese researchers have identified pollution as a major source of unrest around the country.
The looming smog underscores the challenge facing the government as it battles pollution caused by the coal-burning power industry, and will raise questions at the Paris talks about its ability to clean up its economy and environment. (Reuters)
