Manufacturers that fail to suspend production in accordance with restrictions imposed before the Sept 3 military parade to reduce air pollution will face harsh fines.

Beijing has set a series of measures to control emissions and pollutants, including factory suspensions and restrictions on vehicle use after Aug 20, to prepare for the parade to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II.

The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, the environmental watchdog, will strengthen its supervision of companies in polluting industries during the period.

Companies failing to meet the pollution restrictions will be ordered to stop production immediately. Fines for offenders could reach 500,000 yuan ($78,300), Mu Liang, head of a monitoring team under the municipal environmental monitoring bureau, said on Wednesday.

Similar harsh penalties were issued during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in November.

The bureau also will make other monitoring efforts. Outdoor barbecues and burning will be another priority, Mu said.

Should Beijing experience heavy smog during the restricted period, the bureau will conduct more frequent monitoring and supervision to ease the air pollution.

All of August has been identified as a key period for environmental supervision, especially for emission of major air pollutants, coal-fired boilers and construction sites.

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