Xinhua Insight: China localities to improve air quailty

Angst hit Liu Min on Thursday as severe smog returned to the eastern city of Jinan and the air quality index (AQI) gave a reading of 250.

Luckily, a strong cold front helped to disperse the smog in the capital of Shandong Province. In December, however, the city was not so lucky, as heavy smog across a large swathe of north China remained for nearly two thirds of the month.

Lui admitted that she often contemplates moving back to her hometown in southern Guangdong Province where the air is much better.

Jinan was the most polluted of 74 major cities nationwide in September and October last year.

"The local government has rolled out a spate of control measures, but the results far from meet our expectations," she said.

Local legislative meetings were convened across the country this month, with many local governments pledging to address air quality, and some setting air pollution reduction targets.

At the ongoing annual meeting of the provincial people's congress, Shandong government said 1.4 billion yuan (213 million U.S. dollars) would be used to support air pollution control efforts.

While Beijing earmarked the more handsome sum of 16.5 billion yuan to reduce the average concentration of PM2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, by 5 percent.

Lawmakers in the capital are also mulling measures to remove half the cars off the city's roads during the "winter heating season," from mid-November to mid-March.

Beijing recorded 22 days of severe air pollution in November and December, 15 days more than the same period in 2014. During the period, average PM 2.5 density hit 239 micrograms per cubic meter.

For the whole of 2015, Beijing's average PM2.5 density dropped 6.2 percent to 80.6 micrograms per cubic meter, but it was still more than double the nationwide target level.

Hebei, which is next to Beijing and home to seven of the country's top 10 polluted cities, pledged to cut PM2.5 density by 6 percent this year and Tianjin vowed a 25 percent reduction by 2020.

Henan announced it would assign 1 billion yuan to the fight against smog.

In response to concerns over the damage to health the smog can cause, some Shanghai political advisors called on local education authorities to install air purifying equipment at local kindergartens, primary and middle schools.

Zhao Li, a provincial lawmaker in Liaoning, proposed that more clean energy be used to reduce reliance on coal.

"The energy mix should be adjusted, otherwise economic expansion comes at the cost of health and even lives," said Wang Qinglin, a political advisor in Liaoning.

At the local legislative meetings, most regions vowed to shut down some high-polluting outdated industry and follow a path of efficient and healthy growth this year.

"Factories need to be more environmental-friendly," said Wang Maofa, a provincial lawmaker in Zhejiang.

Delegates attending the annual meeting of Jiangsu provincial people's congress, which closed on Thursday, discussed various ways to "build a more prosperous and beautiful Jiangsu."

Party secretary Luo Zhijun of Jiangsu said the province would endeavor to make more progress in changing the pattern of economic growth and adjusting economic structure. Endi