Beijing continues Olympic pollution controls

Beijing’s air quality met the standards required to host the Olympic games according to city officials, and measures put in place to improve air quality during the games are likely to stay in place.

The city’s deputy director of environmental protection, Du Shaozhong, told journalists in a press conference that the city’s air quality was the best it had been in a decade.

He added that for nine days of the Olympics, Beijing’s air quality was of the top standard using China’s air quality monitoring system, whilst on the other nine days it was grade 2.

Some of the measures that were brought in to help reduce the city’s pollution for the games will now become permanent.

Plans to reduce dust levels from construction sites will be accelerated, as will the removal of heavily polluting vehicles from Beijing’s roads.

Companies with poor pollution records will now be forced to address the issue before they are allowed to continue operating.

However, the rule that alternates the cars allowed on the road depending on their registration number will be lifted because it affects everyone’s daily life.