BEIJING: The smog-hit Chinese capital of Beijing will establish a police force to deal specifically with environmental offences as part of its efforts to clean up its air and crack down on persistent polluters.
The smog police will crack down on open-air barbecues, garbage incineration, biomass burning and dust from roads, Beijing’s acting mayor Cai Qi said on Saturday, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
“These acts of non-compliance with regulations are actually the result of lax supervision and weak law enforcement,” Cai told a government meeting.
Nearly three years into a “war on pollution”, large swathes of northern China were engulfed in smog over the New Year, with dangerous air quality readings in major cities like Beijing, Tianjin and Xian forcing many people to stay in doors.
The smog which blanketed cities, disrupting flights, port operations and schools, was caused by increased coal use for winter heating and unfavourable weather conditions.
