China regulators reprimand city mayor over smog response

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese environmental authorities rebuked the mayor of an eastern city over its ineffectual response to days of choking smog, state media said on Thursday, as the government works to show it is capable of tackling an air pollution crisis. Beijing, whose choking smog has sparked public anger, issued its first red alert over the pollution this week, involving traffic curbs and advice on closing schools and businesses, although many in the capital ignored warnings to stay indoors. Rapid industrial growth and rising car ownership over the past decade have driven up pollution in China's cities, a problem researchers say is a major source of unrest. State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said the mayor of Dezhou, a midsized industrial city in the northeastern province of Shandong, could face more serious consequences if the situation there did not improve. "Dezhou city had not taken any realistic measures to reduce emissions to confront serious air pollution," CCTV said, citing the regulator, adding that the city had kept its alert at blue, the lowest level, even in cases of very heavy pollution. Environmental officials found that the city's forecasting and early warning systems were weak, CCTV said, and the city government had placed too much reliance on the predictions. Also, a revised plan adopted by the city to cut emissions in an emergency proved a significant step back from an earlier plan, it added, but did not say why the plan had been revised. The mayor had signed a document outlining problems with the city's preparedness for smog emergencies, it said. Smog has been a public health concern in Beijing for years but the government's response has drawn scrutiny in the past week, following criticism that it did not issue a red alert during an earlier episode of hazardous smog. A red alert means nearly half of vehicles are ordered off the roads, with heavy vehicles banned, schools advised to cancel classes, businesses recommended to allow flexible working hours and all "large-scale, outdoor activities" halted. (Reporting by Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)