BEIJING – Two cities in north-western China, Xi’an and Yinchuan, advised residents to stay indoors, limited heavy industrial production and halted coal processing, warning of heavy pollution over the coming days, with thick fog expected.
China’s Central Meteorological Observatory also predicted dense haze for the country’s north and east from Dec 28 to 30, before a cold wave arrives on the afternoon of Dec 30 to dissipate the heavy fog.
In Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province, the authorities issued a red alert on Dec 27 to warn that they were expecting serious pollution until Dec 29, and enforced mandatory emergency measures to reduce emissions, including asking people to take public transport and companies to allow flexible work arrangements.
The city asked companies, institutions and construction sites that emit pollutants to adjust production schedules and proactively reduce emissions, state television CCTV said.
The capital of Ningxia region, Yinchuan, activated measures from the afternoon of Dec 26 to cut emissions of exhaust pollutants by more than 20 per cent, while ensuring enterprises continued normal operating conditions.
Moderate pollution is forecast until Dec 29 in Yinchuan, which was shrouded in grey, photos from China News Service showed, with a chance of severe pollution on Dec 28.
The city sought to slow or even stop industrial production, and strengthen pollution controls for key industries, such as power stations and petrochemical, chemical, metallurgical and cement plants.
The authorities of both cities stopped most earthwork and demolition operations at construction sites, spray and paint work, as well as production and transport of bulk materials using heavy-duty trucks at concrete plants, and coal processing, stone-cutting and mining activities.
Both cities expanded restrictions on using high-emission vehicles, including diesel vehicles, and advised people to avoid idling their vehicles.
The national weather observatory warned of low visibility of less than 200m in dense fog, in parts of the northern and eastern provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui, and in south-western city Chongqing, potentially disrupting transport and traffic during travel peaks before the New Year holiday.
It also cautioned people with respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses that the pollution is mainly due to fine particles that can travel deep into lungs and even the bloodstream. REUTERS
