New Delhi: Beijing, of late, has been engulfed in heavy smoke. As many as 24 cities are under a pollution "red alert," the highest warning level in China's four-tiered system. Beijing has been on "orange alert" - the second-highest alert level - since Friday. Despite taking strict actions, local authorities are unable to tackle rising level of pollution:
1) China's environmental ministry has reported that unspecified number of companies had violated measures meant to reduce smog during a period of particularly noxious pollution in the country.
2) China's reliance on coal for energy and factory production, as well as a surplus of older, less efficient cars on its roads has made the matters worse.
3) Inadequate controls on industry and lax enforcement of standards have worsened the pollution problem.
