Beijing issues orange alert for smog

Beijing issued an orange alert for air pollution on Thursday when a new round of smog will hit the capital, said the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

The smog is forecast to cover parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Henan in northern China. The alert will last from Friday to Sunday, or New Year's Day holiday.

Under the emergency plan, heavy polluting gasoline-fuelled vehicles and trucks carrying construction garbage will be banned from roads. Some manufacturing firms will need to cut production.

Beijing has a four-tier alert system for pollution, with red the highest, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The orange alert means the air quality index is forecast to exceed 200 for three consecutive days. Endi