Harbin recently announced limits on the burning of straw residue in an area with a 10-kilometer radius around the city, and for 5-km on both sides of major highways this autumn and winter, the major season for straw burning in the Northeast.

The Agriculture Ministry has said that at least 16 percent of the country’s soil exceeds pollution standards. It has also says that less than a third of fertilizers and pesticides are absorbed by crops, less than two-thirds of the plastic film is recycled, less than half the livestock and poultry waste is processed, and that straw burning is still widespread. So the city is asking its major agriculture companies to find more efficient ways to burn straw, which is traditionally used as fertilizer and fuel in rural areas.

It also found ways to ensure that the new ruling is implemented by the officials in charge and has said that anyone who persists in violating the law after having been warned will face serious penalties. To help with this, the local environmental protection bureau has set up a 24-hour hotline for reporting any violation.