Illegal barbecues punished

According to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, 1,257 cases of illegal barbecuing have been punished in 2014. Since March 1, the environment department has filed 100 such cases, the Beijing News reported.

The fines for these 100 cases add up to 3.013 million yuan. In April 2014, Beijing's environmental protection authorities will focus on managing smoke emissions from restaurants and bathhouses, while the urban management authorities will focus on controlling particle emissions from construction sites and open burning. The public can report illegal acts which cause air pollution by calling their hotline numbers - 12369 and 96310, respectively.