The Chinese Government has warned its local meteorological bureaus to stop issuing smog advisories. This announcement was made by their meteorological administration which notified the public through Weibo, a social media platform similar to Twitter. However, local governments can still issue advisories when smogs are visible less than 10 km.
A representative of China’s Meteorological Administration explained the reason behind the supposed “ban” on smog advisories. As published in The Paper, the spokesperson said the government issued a notice because meteorological bureaus and environmental protections administrations often differ in perception. This may affect information dissemination about smog advisories.
According to Rappler , the Chinese government is currently formulating a joint alerting mechanism to make their smog advisories more efficient. However, news earned the ire of citizens who feel that the government is setting a news blackout about the issue. More so, local netizens have questioned the credibility and efficiency of local air pollution reports.
By end of 2016, The Guardian reported that almost half a billion refugees have fled their hometowns affected by the smog. Most of them have fled to nearby regions unhampered by the spread of toxic fumes. As of press time, the smog continues to envelope northern and central China.
The smog was perceived by experts as the consequence of China’s rapid economic growth over the years. In academic institutions, parents have demanded school administrators to provide air purifiers. They fear that the suffocating smog may cause fatal diseases like lung cancer.
According to iTech Post , the Chinese government will allocate $ 2.6 B to alleviate the condition of air pollution in their country. Another major step they will implement is the shift of their energy sector from coal to clean resources. Beijing, the capital of China, is known for having the world’s most polluted air, which explains the growing fear of its residents for their health and safety.
