A 20-year-old man from Hunan province in Central China was involved in a burglary worth 10,000 Yuan (roughly $1,550). The authorities in his native city have been on the lookout since early November but the man already fled to Beijing to escape the charges.
Unfortunately for him, Beijing's notorious air pollution triggered his bronchitis. Hospital admission meant risking his identity to the police authorities in both Beijing and Hunan. The man decided to return to Hunan to confess and get the treatment he needs.
Red Alert: China's Air Pollution
Forty cities in northern China rolled out air pollution alerts already. Beijing issued red alert, raising the city's pollution to the highest level of the country's four-level warning system. Other cities including Handan, Baoding, Xingtai and Langfang also issued red alerts.
The four-level warning system follows an index that monitors various air pollutants. A red alert is issued when air pollutants exceed a 200 level on the system's index in three days. According to the U.S. government, air quality that exceeds 200 is "very unhealthy."
Amidst the populations' growing anger, city planners are pressed to come up with solutions to the cities' worsening air pollution.
In light of the air pollution's rising intensity and its health-related consequences, China announced its central goal for urban planning following the Central Urban Work Conference, which was supervised by President Xi Jinping.
On Dec. 22, China vowed to transform city development patterns and management in order to create more "livable" cities. China's policymakers pledged to create urban environments where people and nature can co-exist in harmony.
It was 1978 when China's top leaders last met to discuss urban development issues, during which only 18 percent of the country's population resided in cities. Towards the end of 2011, over 50 percent of China's population has set up roots in the cities.
China Puts Emphasis On Urban Development Safety
The so-called "triumph of the city" pushed forward many of China's economic and social changes. However, the congestion in the cities also gave birth to other problems such as water and air pollution and traffic jams. The numbers of city dwellers surged in the past decades, which also put public safety network at risk.
"Safety should underpin every aspect of urban work," said the China's urban development goal statement.
The emphasis on safety was made in light of the recent fatal accidents. On Aug. 12, two explosions destroyed residences near Tianjin Port as well as a warehouse that housed hazardous chemicals. The accident left 173 people dead, 104 of which are firefighters.
In mid-December, a man-made landslide took place in a Shenzhen industrial park. A massive load of construction waste broke and rolled downhill. The fatal accident left one dead and 76 people missing.
Photo: Keith Yahl | Flickr
