Changchun City, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province, is hit by heavy smog on Nov. 5, 2016. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) -- Continuous heavily polluted days and peak concentrations of smog have been declining, and air quality is improving, various departments say, citing their own data, yet the public does not agree.
A survey conducted by China Youth Daily shows that only 29.5 percent of 2,001 interviewees say the data released by authorities conforms to what they feel, while 66 percent question it.
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, 338 cities in China experienced 42g PM2.5 density per cubic meter from January to October this year, a reduction of 12.5 percent.
About 67.8 percent of interviewees feel smog is heavy where they live, 19.5 percent feel it is severely heavy, 24.3 percent feel it is normal, and only 7.8 percent feel it is not severe, according to the survey.
It is the sixth year that Wang Xuanyi, who works at an advertisement company, has lived in Beijing. She says she often feels helpless about the smog in the city. "The city seems to have disappeared," she says, when describing her view from the 16th floor.
We don't need statistics to tell us the air quality is improving, we need direct feelings when it really improves, Wang said.
Xiang Ying, a financial manager of a construction company in Mudanjiang, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, often suffers from an itchy throat because of the pollution. He said he checks the air pollution index every day to decide whether or not to wear a mask. He doubted that Mudanjiang had the lowest PM2.5 density in 2012, as stated by the authorities. "How did they get the data?" he said.
Also, 69.4 percent of interviewees pay attention to smog management data released by the authorities, and 20.5 percent do not care, the survey shows.
Zhu Fenfen, associate professor of the environment department of Renmin University of China, said people learn from various media, which may result in different views on smog management.
Xiang Ying believes that the air quality is improving. He has seen many heavy-polluting industries shut down and old heat-providing factories investing in new facilities.
To make the public feel the effect, 60.8 percent of interviewees think authorities should improve early warning mechanism on smog index forecast and heavy air pollution, 54.7 percent say detailed and accurate data should be released regularly, 42.5 percent expect financial funds on smog curb to be made public, and 32.1 percent think authorities should make more efforts to help the public prevent smog.
To reduce air pollution, the surveyed said they hope the raise of standard on vehicle exhaust emission (62.5 percent), reduction of coal consumption (57.4 percent), more trees (55.5 percent), earlier smog warning forecasts (40.5 pecent), and better public transportation (33.9 percent).
