China's air quality slumps in first six months of the year
Official blames cold winter in January and February, with increased use of central heating, for the fall as the government attempts to tackle chronic air pollution
Air quality in China worsened in the first half of the year, with 338 cities including the capital Beijing on average reporting fewer clean air days due to winter pollution in January and February, an official at the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.
Between April and June, air quality improved as the government stepped up pollution inspections, Liu Youbin, inspector at the ministry’s department of publicity and communications, said at a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
Air pollution often worsens during China’s winter months due to a rise in heating demand by residents dependent on coal-fired power stations for power.
Air quality in 338 of China’s largest cities on average deteriorated in the first six months, the ministry said on Wednesday, with 74.1 per cent of all days during the period experiencing clean air, down 2.6 percentage points from a year earlier.
