Beijing sees 9 days of blue sky in Apr

Vehicles drive in a street in Beijing, capital of China, on April 17, 2006. A floating dust haunted Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Beijing endured a dusty month in April. The only nine days of blue sky among the past 29 days showed the most serious air pollution in the past four years, said the municipal environmental protection bureau Saturday.

    Sandstorms from Mongolia and North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought floating dust pollution for seven times in the city in April, said Pei Chenghu, deputy director of the bureau.

    As of Saturday, Beijing's urban area saw 60 days of blue sky this year, where were 16 days less than the same period last year.

    The official said 17 days out of the past four months suffered level four or five air pollution, but there were only nine such days in the past one year.

    Pei said all the relevant departments in Beijing launched dust and pollution prevention and control activities to improve the capital's air quality.

    Beijing Construction Committee examined more than 9,000 construction sites and ordered nearly 3,000 to take measures in controlling the dust from the working sites.

    At the same time, the municipal government will use 13,700 more tons of water to restrain the floating dust on the streets.

    Viewing from the air quality records in the past few years, no floating dust has occurred in May, and the official said he hopes Beijing will have at least 20 days of blue sky in the next month.

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