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In some Chinese cities in recent years, the concentration of airborne particles, called PM 2.5, averaged nine times the safe level defined by the World Health Organisation [Xinhua]
Instead, farmers will be encouraged to use straw shredders if they want to receive agricultural subsidies.
Scofflaws will be fined $291, authorities said.
The port city of Tianjin lies just south of Beijing, and like the capital it, too, faces chronic air pollution challenges.
Environmental data has recently shown that the number of red and orange alert days in Tianjin have increased.
The red code is triggered when the city anticipates four consecutive days of heavy air pollution, including two days of severe air pollution.
A red alert is also issued if the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 500, local media have said.
In December, China’s National Environmental Monitoring Center said that Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province suffered heavy air pollution.
In January, Beijing established an environmental police force to monitor violations of current air pollution laws.
“Open-air barbecues, garbage incineration, biomass burning, dust from roads — these acts of non-compliance with regulations are actually the result of lax supervision and weak law enforcement,” said Beijing Mayor Cai Qi at a press conference at the time.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
