Outdoor barbecue is prohibited in Beijing

Authorities in China are considering a ban on barbecues in densely populated urban areas in a bid to clear the eye-watering smog plaguing the nation's capital, but environmentalists say the move will have little impact on the haze.

The draft rules were announced earlier this month by the ministry of environmental protection in Beijing, in a bid to garner public feedback and call on major cities to adopt legislation banning barbecue-related activities.

Officials told state media this week that the measures are aimed at reducing the amount of the most dangerous PM 2.5 particles in the air, fine particulate matter that has been linked to respiratory and other disease. (Trebitsch Péter, MTI)