China suspending local smog alerts amid rising public anger

China has decided to suspend local meteorological centres from issuing smog alerts amid rising public anger over deteriorating air pollution and criticism that the government was trying to suppress information on the issue.
The local departments can issue alerts for "fog" when visibility is less than 10 km, Chinese website The Paper reported citing an official notice.
The notice was issued because local "meteorological bureaus and the environmental protection administration often disagree when they issue smog-related information," it said.
"A joint alerting mechanism will be formulated to consult how to and who should issue alerts for smog," a representative said in the notice.

One single department will now be responsible for issuing smog alerts, the report said.
Meanwhile, a special force for environment protection was launched in Chinese capital Beijing. The city's acting Mayor Cai Qi announced early January the forming of an environmental police force to tackle air pollution, after a spell of smog in the city lasted for more than a week.

Lan Yang, deputy chief of the force under the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said the new force will have more than 150 police officers divided into four groups: environmental protection, food and drugs, tourism and a group with a flexible focus.

Lan said the corresponding sub-forces were also being organised and trained in lower bureaus, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
In the past weeks public anger grew in Beijing and other cities as the highest "red alert" was not issued despite high-density smog and factories continued with production.
Beijing has a four-tier alert system for air pollution, red being the highest, followed by orange, yellow and blue.