Beijing Govt has warned that the city would be shrouded in heavy smog from Tuesday until Thursday (8 Dec – 10 Dec), in this regard the city has issued its first ever “red alert” for pollution. The notice is issued after days of heavy smog last week which also puts traffic restrictions on certain types of vehicles.
- The red alert was announced for the first time since an emergency air-pollution response system was introduced in 2013.
- The warning was an upgrade from an orange alert issued over the weekend. It is a part of China’s four-colour warning system that includes yellow and blue levels for less polluted conditions.
- The move has comes on the sidelines of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warning to Paris summit of 200 nations against a “climate catastrophe” urging governments to reach a strong deal to limit global warming.
Prohibition
The Beijing city government ordered all outdoor construction work to stop on red alert days and urge schools to close.
- Construction waste, excavation transport vehicles, cement trucks, gravel transport vehicles and other large-scale vehicles are prohibited from driving on roads.
Chinese researchers have identified pollution as a major source of unrest around the country. According to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the air quality index stood at 250 on Tuesday morning and was classed as “very unhealthy” and 10 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended levels.
Keys
China Capital – Beijing
China Currency – Renminbi
China President – Xi Jinping
China PM – Li Keqiang