Cameras to keep watch for fires

Henan province plans to install 20,000 surveillance cameras this year to monitor the burning of straw or rubbish on farmland, which can cause fires and pollute the air.

According to the Henan provincial Department of Agriculture, it is part of the province's plan to set up what it calls the Blue-Sky Guard system, which was developed to achieve a goal of zero-fires through real-time monitoring.

The system can continuously monitor farmland and remind people not to burn straw, said Ning Xiaofeng, an official of the provincial department.