For the third year in a row, Beijing will be extending production cuts and traffic restrictions as part of its winter anti-smog measures, reported the South China Morning Post.
As part of the nation’s “war on pollution,” cities are required to lower their concentration of hazardous airborne particles, known as PM 2.5, by reducing and making revisions to heavily-polluting industries.
According to a Reuters analysis, only 39 cities have been able to lower concentrations of PM 2.5 since the latest winter anti-smog campaign started, and the average overall level of PM 2.5 has actually risen by 13% nationally.
In reaction, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) vowed to crack down on the production, import and use of substandard diesel vehicles and encourage bulk commodity deliveries by train as well as the use of satellite technology to monitor rural air pollution sources. The ministry also plans to speed up efforts in eliminating small coal-fired boilers and in limiting the pollution output of sectors involving coal and steel.