(ECNS) -- All pharmaceutical factories in Shijiazhuang City, the capital of North China's Hebei Province, have been ordered to suspend production in an effort to curb further pollution, National Business Daily reported.
The official Shijiazhuang government website released an "implementation plan" on curbing pollution on Nov. 17, asking all factories whose products contain volatile organic compounds to stop production.
This involves drug producers, the chemical industry, package printing and furniture.
Enterprises that can't stop operations for special reasons should reduce production after being approved from Shijiazhuang Municipal Peoples Government, it was added.
Toxic emissions, polluted water and other waste are created during drug production, which is harmful to human health and the environment, it said.
Several companies, including Harbin Pharmaceutical and Yunnan Pharmaceutical, have been warned for causing environmental damage.
Other businesses working in the cement, construction and coal power industries have also been ordered to stop production.
The production of medicines that treat bronchitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis, which becomes more severe in smoggy weather, has also been halted, causing concern among local citizens.
North China Pharmaceutical Company said that because it has a sufficient storage of drugs, market supply would not be affected by the halt in production over a short period of time, but it may face unexpected complications in future.
Shijiazhuang has endured continuous days of heavy air pollution, said the local government, with the city constantly ranking lower among 74 observed in regard to weather conditions.
Its goal is to reduce PM2.5 pollution by 10 percent, as well as assure the Air Quality Index does not exceed 500 before the end of 2016, it was added.
Regions of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province have experienced multiple days of heavy smog since October. Smog control is still in urgent demand, even though seriously polluted days have decreased in number compared to last year.
