Beijing imposes big curbs on industry to combat smog

Beijing municipality has announced the first local clean air act in China to combat smog by banning new heavily polluting industrial plants and expansions of existing ones, South China Morning Post reported, citing a local government website on Wednesday. Violators of pollution discharge limits will also face stiffer penalties. The policy will take effect from March 1. The announcement comes after Beijing’s weather bureau issued another blue smog alert on Wednesday night, the lowest of four levels. Wang Anshun, the mayor of Beijing, stated last week that the capital would spend US$125.56 billion on fighting the smog.