TIANJIN, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Northern China's Tianjin Municipality issued an orange alert Wednesday for heavy air pollution in the coming few days.
The orange alert, the second highest in the country's four-tier warning system, is issued when the daily average air quality index is forecast to surpass 200 for three consecutive days.
Deng Xiaowen, director of the Tianjin Eco-Environmental Monitoring Center, said unfavorable weather conditions and pollutants from southwest of the city would lead to the air pollution, forecast to persist until next Tuesday.
A spate of emergency response measures will be taken starting from Thursday noon, including limiting emissions from enterprises and suspending outdoor construction work.
Authorities will also keep half of the medium- and heavy-duty trucks off the roads through an odd-even license plate number policy.
Children, elderly and the sick are advised to stay indoors.
Tianjin issued an orange alert for air pollution on Feb. 21. The alert was lifted on Feb. 25 as the air quality improved.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region sits in the heart of the North China Plain where air pollution, particularly winter smog, often occurs as a result of high concentrations of industrial and vehicle emissions, limited air circulation and the burning of coal.
