Hazy skies return to Beijing but not for good

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-04 09:20

High levels of pollution returned to the skies above the capital this week just two weeks after the close of the Beijing Paralympics.

The Beijing Times said the city's air was polluted for three consecutive days after pollution indexes hit 106, 104 and 126 for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The reappearance of the smog was blamed on the lifting of provisional environmental protection measures taken to ensure good air quality during the Olympics and Paralympics.

The resumption of work on construction sites and the return of emission-heavy vehicles to roads are also to blame for the smog's return.

So far this year, Beijing has enjoyed 208 blue sky days, 22 more than for the same period last year, according to the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau website.

Vehicle emissions have been the chief influence on air quality in the capital, according to research conducted by the Environmental Science and Engineering College at Tsinghua University.

The research indicates pollution levels were down 30-40 percent 20 days after the capital denied heavy-polluting vehicles access to the urban area from July 1.

Beijing Paralympic Games emblem stands against the blue sky in Tian'anmen Square on Monday. [Xinhua]

The air pollution index in Beijing always surges between 9 pm and 4 am as larger vehicles pour into the urban area to deliver vital supplies during the night, according to Beijing's municipal environmental protection bureau.

The Beijing Evening News yesterday cited the bureau's findings that nighttime levels could be up to 20 times higher than peaks during the daylight hours.

All heavy-polluting vehicles will be taken off the road next year, according to the new work agenda announced by the Beijing bureau yesterday.

The agenda said all government institutions in Beijing would be asked to stop using heavy-polluting vehicles from Monday.

As part of the second stage, these vehicles would not be permitted inside the Fifth Ring Road from Jan 1 next year.

The rule would then be extended to apply to inside the Sixth Ring Road from October 1 next year.

Although it was blue skies above Beijing on Friday, Beijing registered a pollution index at 108 on its daily air quality report, which means slight pollution. The data are collected and announced by China National Environment Monitoring Center.