China Pollution: Beijing Issues Its First Ever ‘Red Alert’ As Thick Smog

Beijing announced its first-ever red alert for pollution on Monday, after reports predicted that a large amount of smog would descend on the city.

All schools are advised to remain shut during a red alert.

“We also have regulations to restrict the cars running on streets by the odd-and-even license plate rule”. Schools have also been urged to close. However, those had been forecast to last three days or less, so they did not trigger a red alert.

The government has launched a war on pollution, vowing to abandon a decades-old economic model of growth at all costs that has damaged China’s water, air and soil.

It cited Beijing’s Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center as saying that the heavy air pollution is expected to diffuse Thursday afternoon due to an approaching cold front. The big problem is particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, which is capable of entering the lungs and even the bloodstream and causing serious health effects.

Beijing’s warning system, which includes air pollution levels ranging from (lowest to highest) blue, yellow, orange and red, was devised in 2013 to provide a level of instructions to local business and residents depending on the level of pollution.

As a effect, kindergartens, primary and high schools suspend their classes, and constructions sites, as well as some industrial plants, are required to stop. “And 80 percent of government-owned cars must be taken off the roads”.

State television CCTV reported that Beijing authorities for the first time are considering to impose a congestion tax to ease traffic.

Readings of PM2.5 particles climbed toward 300 micrograms per cubic meter, compared with the World Health Organization’s safe level of 25.

This massive episode of smog is expected to choke the city at least until Thursday, when rain is expected to clear things somewhat.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has dispatched inspection teams to regions with heavy pollution to ensure emergency plans are being launched in time, monitor and control pollution sources such as coal burning, and enhance management on vehicles that can not meet national emission standards.

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