China’s central Shanxi Province has introduced new rules to curb water use for steel, cement and aluminum production, state media reported yesterday, in another blow to sectors reeling from government-enforced output cuts.
Under the policy, producers of steel, cement and aluminum that exceed mandatory water-usage standards will have to pay incremental levies, China’s official Xinhua news agency said, citing the Shanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
The levies, which went into effect on Friday last week, range from doubling the cost of water if usage exceeds standards by less than 20 percent, to five times the cost and the potential cutting off of water supply in cases where usage standards are exceeded by more than 60 percent.
China has ordered steel and aluminum producers in 28 cities to slash output during the winter as part of the nation’s war against winter smog.
FIZZLE OUT
Meanwhile, Beijing on Friday banned fireworks from the capital ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations, as authorities clamp down on potentially dangerous activities.
The new regulation was passed by the local government, Xinhua said, and comes amid a city-wide campaign that is driving an estimated tens of thousands of migrants from homes that authorities deem unsafe following a deadly fire.
In a nation that is known for its fireworks — and is thought to have invented them more than a 1,000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty — the ban is not likely to be popular.
The ban adds Beijing to a long list of Chinese cities that have restricted firework use in recent years amid safety and pollution concerns.
However, it is unclear if Beijing authorities are to enforce the ban during the boisterous national holidays.
Additional reporting by AFP
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