North China reports clear sky thanks to V-Day parade

Seventy cities in north China, including Beijing and Tianjin, reported very low levels of PM2.5 from Aug. 20 to Sept. 3, thanks to the preparation for the country's first V-Day parade, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said Monday.

The average reading of PM2.5, airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 microns, during the 15 days was 35 micrograms per cubic meter, said the ministry in a press release.

Out of 70 cities, 52 had comparable readings for the same period in last year and the average reduction was 34 percent.

The average density of PM 2.5 in Beijing in the 15 days was 18 micrograms per cubic meter, a year-on-year reduction of 73.1 percent and the best record since the city started to monitor this pollutant in 2013.

Strict control measures were imposed in Beijing, Tianjin and surrounding provinces when the country prepared for the V-Day military parade on Sept. 3.

Since Aug. 20, half of Beijing's vehicles had been banned from road while coal-fueled furnaces located in the downtown been upgraded according to clean emission standards by the end of last month.

Nearby Hebei Province closed 80 percent of the polluted small furnaces red-flagged in its annual plan while Tianjin banned all vehicles that failed to meet the emission standards, six months before the deadline.

The ministry and local environment regulatory agencies stepped up their inspection and monitoring against polluters. Inspectors checked more than 2,000 factories and 500 construction sites in the 15 days, said the ministry statement.

The government gained experience from the campaign and it will benefit future efforts to control pollution and improve air quality, it said. Endi