China’s environment watchdog is putting a cap on the amount of air pollutants produced by heavy-pollution industries in what is called the “toughest” counter-pollution policy to placate public worries as more cities in the country are breathing bad air.

The country’s Ministry of Environmental Protection in Tuesday’s regular meeting, set emission limits on new projects in six heavy-pollution industries including thermal power generation, iron and steel, petro-chemical, non-ferrous metals, etc. as well as on the existing projects in four of the six industries.

The emission standards will come into effective over the following three years in 47 municipal cities in 19 of the country’s 31 provinces,said the ministry in a statement on its website.

The ministry warned that China’s environmental protection is facing unprecedented challenges during the 12th “Five-Year” Plan period (2011-2015) as both the country’s urbanization and industrialization processes are taking fast lanes which boost car sales and consumption of coals.

Tough measures are in urgent need in order to address air pollution woes which not only hurt human bodies, but the eco-environment as well.

In the smog that blanketed Beijing and surrounding cities in January, a research team has found excessive toxic chemicals resembling the culprit of the Los Angles smog a hundred years ago which left over 800 residents dead, an alarming signal that the air pollution needs immediate solutions.
 
Statistics from the ministry showed China emitted as much as 22.18million tons of sulfur dioxide in 2011, of which 20.17 tones were from industries.