BEIJING SMOG SO HEAVY THAT SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ARE RENDERED INOPERABLE

The smog particles are so many and so solid, they block light almost as effectively as a brick wall

The rapid growth of industrialization has created a world economic powerhouse, but the smog it has left in its wake is choking the life out of China.

CHINESE SMOG A ‘TERROR RISK’: POLLUTION IS NOW SO BAD SECURITY CAMERAS AT SENSITIVE SITES CAN NO LONGER FILM THROUGH THE HAZE
Government advisers say smog has reached 'apocalyptic levels' and fear is that terrorists will use smog as cover for an attack

By Peter Simpson

Mail Online
November 5, 2013

Smog in China has become a threat to national security because surveillance cameras guarding sensitive sites can’t film through the thick haze, experts claim.

The smog that blankets the country for much of the year is getting worse and now the central government fears terrorists may choose a smoggy day to launch attacks.

‘As the visibility drops below three metres, even the best camera cannot see beyond a dozen metres,’ Kong Zilong, a senior project engineer and an expert in video surveillance technology said.

Existing technology, such as infrared imaging, can help cameras see through fog or smoke at a certain level, but the smog on the mainland has reached apocalyptic proportions, according to government advisors and now security as well as health is at risk.

The particles are so many and so solid, they block light almost as effectively as a brick wall but ‘the security devices that could function in heavy smog have yet to be invented’ Mr Kong said.

Like Britain, Beijing has invested heavily to build up a nationwide surveillance network that lets police watch every major street and corner in main cities.

But the effectiveness of the system has been greatly compromised and the government has come to realise the seriousness of the issue and commissioned scientists to come up with a solution.

The National Natural Science Foundation of China funded two teams, one civilian and one military, to study the issue and has told the scientists involved to find solutions within four years.

Professor Yang Aiping, an expert in digital imaging, said she was facing tremendous pressure because of the enormous technological challenges.

The smog security fears come just days after suicide bombers protesting against oppression in the western Muslim province of Xinjiang drove a car into a crowd of tourists in front the of the Forbidden City in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square - the site of the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy protesters by government troops and tanks.

The car exploded into a fireball, killing the three occupants and two tourists, and injuring 40.