Beijing fails to enact contingency measures for checking smog

Activities in certain suburban areas of Beijing violate the contingency plan aimed at checking air pollution

Chinese environment protection authorities said that some measures of a contingency plan aimed at dealing with smog in Beijing have not been fully implemented.

According to a statement sent to the Global Times, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said on Sunday that activities in some suburban areas of Beijing violate the contingency plan, including measures that suspend construction work and the illegal burning of garbage.

The MEP also said that Beijing has more than 5.7 million vehicles, and the nitric oxide and hydrocarbons emitted from them account for 50 and 40 percent of the smog.

Pollution created by out-of-town vehicles was more severe, with about 300,000 vehicles entering Beijing daily and half of them exceeding emissions standards, said the statement.

Meanwhile, five illegal trash-burning areas were found around Beijing that are believed to have contributed to smog, the statement said.

Beijing Emergency Management raised the pollution alert level from blue to yellow on Friday, the third-highest level of warning, because the density of PM 2.5 particles reached 350 micrograms per cubic meter and worsened on Saturday, China News Service reported.

The heavy pollution that blanketed Beijing in the past days was mainly caused by local pollutants since PM 10 particles were higher than before, according to monitored data.

The Beijing Municipal Transport Commission recently issued draft regulations on car-booking services, stating that only those with a Beijing household registration and a car of certain engine displacements are qualified to provide the service.

Authorities said the measures are aimed at easing traffic as well as reducing vehicle emissions.

Many cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region have suffered mild to moderate air pollution since Saturday, and some places may suffer from heavy pollution from Tuesday to Thursday.