China's 'war on pollution'

With air pollution on the rise in China, the country has stepped up its efforts to tackle the problem. On International Environment Day, the theme in China is 'Declare War on Pollution'.

The war against pollution is being waged across China. In North China's Hebei province, polluting iron and steel and cement factories are being torn down, notwithstanding many of them being pillars of the local economy.

"I ran this cement factory for over thirty years. One step after another, I guided it through various difficulties over the years. Now, I feel really emotional seeing it torn down." An Haisheng, owner of Hebei Luquan Cement Co., Ltd, said.

Scientists are looking for reasons behind the continuous smog in Chinese cities. Initial investigations indicate the use of coal as the major cause. Over time, emission standards have become stricter, even for state owned factories.

"We are going to weed out companies and industries with high emission levels, even if they meet the standard of industrial policies, because Shijiazhuang city can't bear it any more." Sun Ruibin, secretary of CPC Shijiazhuang Municipal Committee, said.

The local government is giving the fight against pollution the maximum importance, even in its budget.

"We are making big adjustments to this year's target. The specifications on containing air pollution have set hard objectives. We will cut 15 million tons of raw steel and 15 million tons of coal consumption. Setting such a detailed objective was impossible in the past." Zhang Qingwei, deputy secretary of CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, said.

The latest plan is to throw 90 billion Yuan to contain air pollution in Hebei Province, and all the targets are set to be achieved in the next three years.

It has become a public consensus here in Hebei province, that air pollution is the primary target of environmental protection. Numerous efforts have been made, but it may take a long time to have some hard results. Before that happens, calls for action are set to continue.