New standard to curb air pollution in Beijing

The air quality in Beijing has again hit dangerous levels, after the city was enveloped with lingering smog on Wednesday. The local government plans to implement some concrete measures to curb air pollution. Reducing the emission from motor vehicles tops the list.

Heavy smog shrouded Beijing on Wednesday for the third time already this year.

The average PM 2.5 concentration in the city center was occasionally 10 times the level considered safe by the WHO.

"It's a little bit worse than some other places that I have been. We try to stay inside as much as we can when it gets really bad."

"A few days ago I saw many children going to the hospital because of respiratory problems. I think it's due to the dirty air. So I reduce my child's time for outdoor activities as a precaution."

Beijing has a population of 20 million people. The number of vehicles in the city has increased to 5.2 million. In early 2008, there were 2 million less cars in the streets.

The exhaust gas from a rapid growing number of vehicles contributes most to the PM 2.5 levels.

Sun Wanhu, resident in Beijing, said:"The serious air pollution in China is one of the costs of rapid urban development. It's wrong to develop the country first and curb the pollution later. The government should start now. "

Beijing municipal environmental authorities announced on Wednesday that a new and harsher emission standard will be adopted for motor vehicles as of Feburary 1st. Some say it could be as strict as the Euro V emission standard used in Europe.

Li Kunsheng, division head of Beijing Environ. Protection Bureau, said:"Once the new standard goes into effect, it will help the capital cut nitrogen oxide emissions from vehicles by about 40 percent. "

Curbing air pollution is a hot topic at the ongoing sessions of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress and the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC. Many hope more concrete measures will be taken.

Xia Ruixue, Beijing, said:"Beijing will be the first city in China to adopt the new harsher emission standard for motor vehicles. But for such a standard to truly be effective in curbing air pollution, it needs to be implemented in the whole country."