China’s move to ban barbecue for air pollution control raises eyebrows worldwide

The city administration of Beijing has decided to ban unlicensed and unsafe barbecue roadside skewers across the city for air pollution control. Roadside eateries are quite common in big cities of China because traditional Chinese foods need not so lengthy cooking that is why it is easy to cook it standing on roadside and sell it to commuting people who love to eat while standing. Most of such food is stir fried and offered in bowls with lot of yummy sauces that needs to be eaten with chopsticks or forks. However, after popularity of roasted meat of all type with a touch of sizzler that makes noise and smoke together the barbecue or grilled food is also getting equally popular.

In a recent move - after publication of critical reports across the world about the rising level of air pollution in China - the city administration of Beijing has announced to take action against those barbecue stalls that

create air pollution and are environmentally unsafe. In this regard first of all actions would be taken against those eateries that don’t have any license and then all licensed stalls will be monitored to check the level of their smoke emissions. In summer season such roadside stalls increase in big cities of China because people love to eat in open air sitting on makeshift dining tables lying on footpaths. In past such action was taken but could not have brought any tangible results because of the weak efforts made for air pollution control in China.

Is it a rational step for air pollution control?

This step has become a laughing stock in all over the world because this is an open secret how much a barbecue stall can contribute in air pollution even if it works for the whole day. If this is really a serious step and can bring results even then below are the questions that need to be answered:

• How much barbecue unlicensed and licensed stalls are operating in Beijing
• How many hours daily they operate and how many tones of meat they grill daily
• How much smoke they emit and are the main gases of that smoke harmful for human health and environment
• If people buy food from these stalls they must not cook food on that day at home which means no indoor pollution on that day
• What is the share of barbecue stalls in total air pollution in China?
• If they operate in summer only then why does China face smog pollution in winter that also results from rising level of air pollution after mixing with fog
• Does Beijing administration think these stalls are the worst air polluter and other polluters like giant factories, coal power plants stand after them in queue of polluters.

As a matter of fact China should not escape from the reality and first take action against worst types of air polluters including coal power plants and state-owned manufacturing units that in frenzy of producing more and more are violating every green law of the land. After that it is suitable to bring to book small level of polluters.