The city government of Anguo, North China's Heibei Province has denied the claim that they imposed 100 yuan  ($16) in "air pollution fee" on every household, according to a statement sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

A resident of the Yangguangyijing complex in Anguo disclosed to the province's news portal, hebnews.cn, on Monday that the property management company had asked them to pay a  100 yuan air pollution fee bundled with heating costs.

The website said an official with the city government's office had confirmed this new fee.

However, the Anguo government said on Tuesday that this was not true, and the charge is for sewage treatment and garbage disposal according to the regulations on the sewage treatment and garbage disposal fees in Heibei.

The charge has been collected by the city's comprehensive law enforcement bureau, and will not be bundled with heating cost nor collected by any other organizations, said the statement.

Media report said that the whistle blower found that his relatives and friends are all asked to pay the air pollution fee and was questioning how reasonable it was.

"Why should the public pay the price of air pollution?" hebnews.cn quoted him as saying, noting that though everyone has the opportunity to protect the environment, the central government has allocated a special fund for combating the air pollution.

North China regions, including Beijing, Tianjin and four surrounding provinces and regions, signed an agreement in September for a joint operation to curb air pollution.

The Ministry of Finance announced in October that it will offer rewards totaling 5 billion yuan ($819.5 million) if they are successful.

Hebei is expected to get a bigger chunk of the fund, as it faces heavier tasks to combat air pollution as industry is pushed out from the capital.

A resident surnamed Chen living in the same residential community told the Global Times on Tuesday that she paid the charge of 100 yuan on November 14, described as a charge for sewage treatment and garbage disposal by the authorities.

The fee was collected compulsorily for the first time, Chen added.

An official with the city's bureau of environmental protection also told the Global Times on Tuesday that they have not imposed the air pollution charge on the public.

"There is no policy or regulation that empowers us to do so," noted the official.

The central government in September announced an ambitious five-year plan to deal with deteriorating air pollution. Local governments have since then developed their action plans, such as closing industrial polluters, capping the use of cars and strengthening inspection on emitters, including restaurants, in response to the campaign.

However, some net users are debating whether every citizen should share the cost and sacrifice, arguing the biggest  contributors are heavy industries and the public shouldn't bear the burden.