Half of smog-hit Beijing’s 5.5 million private cars were on Tuesday kept off the roads, with the Chinese capital enforcing its first-ever red alert for pollution as air in the city of over 22 million people turned “hazardous” and schools and construction sites remained shut.
Beijing’s air on Tuesday morning turned from “very unhealthy” to “hazardous” as PM 2.5 — particulate matter with size equal to or less than 2.5 micron and the main gauge to identify pollutant particles in the air — touched 365 compared to Monday’s 256 level.
A grey haze hung over the city at a time when crucial climate talks have entered their final phase in Paris.
According to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Centre, heavy smog will linger until Thursday. It is expected to disperse on Thursday afternoon as a cold front arrives.
Under the red alert, the highest in the four-tier emergency response system created in 2013, all schools have been ordered to be closed, and outdoor construction halted.
The red alert, Beijing’s first ever, was issued yesterday will last from 7 am on Tuesday to noon on Thursday. Officials have also clamped restrictions on factories and traffic.
The reading of the PM 2.5 the Particulate matter in the air at the US Embassy Beijing Air Quality Monitor showed 365 on Tuesday morning.
According to the US embassy classification, anything beyond 300 is categorised ‘hazardous’, warranting people to take preventive measures like avoiding outdoor exposure.
Car use will be limited during the red alert period as cars are allowed on the roads on alternating days depending on the odd or even numbers of their license plates.