Emergency plan to clear winter pollution
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-11 05:57

Emergency plans, which could see factories slash production, have been made to tackle heavy air pollution during the Beijing winter, an official with the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said on Sunday.

According to the bureau's vice-director, Du Shaozhong, the plan, which will swing into action after two consecutive days of heavy pollution, was made after consultations with government departments and companies.

Polluting factories

To clear the city's air, street cleaning and sprinkling work will be organized and heavily polluting factories ordered to reduce emissions.

As of Sunday, Beijing had seen 190 "blue sky days" this year, eight more than at the same time last year.

However, Du was not optimistic. "Looking at the changing trend in Beijing's weather over the past few winters, the situation is not very promising," he said.

Emergency plan

According to Du, air pollution in Beijing is growing increasingly complex and the emergency plan is an important step in dealing with the problem.

The official said the bureau would pay close attention to curbing pollution from the burning of coal for heating during the winter.

High-quality coal with low sulphur and ash content is recommended for heating in the winter, and the municipal government will invest in replacing coal with cleaner fuels in small furnaces.

(China Daily 10/11/2005 page3)