Following the succeeding 'red alert' status issued by Beijing, authorities have ordered over 2000 factories to suspend or minimize production. The memo was issued just a few days after alert level was raised again.

An insider from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology said that this initiative is part of the city's "emergency response plan." The local government ordered factories within the purlieu to stop or limit their manufacturing activities to reduce venting of polluted gases.

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Furthermore, strict compliance is observed as inspectors pay a visit on the sites everyday. "[The factories] all strictly carried out the measures" as required, the insider added.  

The capital city has been experiencing the hazardous smog for three succeeding days already. On Monday, the updated PM2.5 monitor of the US Embassy in Beijing reached 172 micrograms per cubic metre already. While in Shanghai, a halt in construction and demolition has been ordered after the count went high at 144.

These "very unhealthy" levels are actually sevenfold higher compared with WHO's maximum level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter exposure in 24 hours. Worst, experts are expecting this level could reach as high as 300.

When a red-alert is issued, only half of the cars are allowed to travel. But public transports and emergency vehicles like ambulance are exceptions. Even holding of classes is temporarily suspend, and teachers opt to upload lessons online. Experts say that implementing these measures reduces the PM2.5 concentration by 30 percent. 

Other than Beijing and Shanghai, 33 other cities such as Hebei, Henan and Shandong are being blanketed by a thick, heavy smog. 

"The industrial development of this region has far exceeded the capacity of the environment," Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs in Beijing, said. "We must strictly enforce the Environmental Law, closing down the polluters that fail to meet the standards."

TagsUS Embassy, smog in China, air quality, Beijing Air Quality, air quality index, factories