Heavy smog back to haunt Beijing two days after acting mayor Cai Qi vows air pollution crackdown
Monday morning’s air quality index exceeds ‘unhealthy’ mark after reprieve of only one week as Cai Qi promises ambitious plans to tackle problem
Beijing was shrouded in smog again on Monday after a respite lasting just one week.
The air quality index stayed above 150 during the morning, indicating an “unhealthy” level of air pollution.
Smog was at “hazardous” levels in Hebei and Shanxi, two heavily industrialised provinces next to Beijing.
The pollution in the capital was expected to continue to remain high on Tuesday and not disperse fully until a strong cold front arrived on Thursday, Beijing’s meteorological bureau warned.
The smog comes just days after the city’s acting mayor set the capital’s most ambitious target to cut pollution. In his work report to municipal legislators, Cai Qi said the goal was to cut concentrations of PM2.5 – the fine particles most hazardous to human health – by 18 per cent this year. Last year, PM2.5 levels in Beijing fell 9.9 per cent, according to the city’s environmental protection bureau.
But the concentrations are still well above World Health Organisation recommendations and many residents are dismissive of the “improvements”.