Air pollution in Beijing reached “hazardous” levels yesterday the US embassy said, as thick smog blanketed the city for the third day running, forcing the closure of highways and cancellation of flights.
The Chinese capital is one of the most polluted cities in the world, mainly because of its growing energy consumption — much of which is still fueled by coal-fired power stations — and the high number of cars on the road.
A “hazardous” rating by the embassy, whose evaluation of the city’s air quality often differs markedly from the official Chinese rating, is the worst on a six-point scale and indicates the whole population is likely to be affected.
The embassy has rated Beijing’s air quality as hazardous on several occasions last month. On Oct. 9, the reading was listed as “beyond index,” meaning it went above measurable levels.
In contrast, the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection said Beijing’s air was just “slightly polluted” on Sunday, sparking debate in state-run media and on the Internet.
The Global Times newspaper yesterday demanded an explanation for the disparity, urging the government to “be cooperative in avoiding confusing information” about air pollution.
“Figures by some local governments show the air pollution index is dropping in some cities, such as Beijing ... But some Beijing citizens complain the figures do not match their experience,” it said in an editorial.
Residents of the capital expressed their fear over the effects on their health on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site similar to Twitter, with some reporting breathing difficulties and dizziness.
In April, Beijing launched a five-year action plan to improve the environment by phasing out coal-fired boilers, saying it wanted excellent or good air conditions for 80 percent of the year by 2015.
Beijing’s weather bureau issued three heavy fog alerts on Sunday. Six highways closed and over 200 flights were delayed or cancelled as a result, Chinese media reports said.
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