Smog Returns to Beijing as Air Quality Index Climbs to 215 Despite Pollution Control Measures

Beijing: Smog blanketed China's capital Beijing on Thursday, and the air quality index (AQI) rose to 215, considered an "extremely unhealthy" level. This rapid increase in pollution is considered unusual after years of campaigns to clean up Beijing's air. China's national observatory issued a "yellow alert" on Wednesday, forecasting heavy smog in parts of the country.

Heavy smog forecast

The observatory said heavy smog is expected on Thursday in Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, the Sichuan Basin, and Chongqing. Smog with such high levels of air pollution is now less common in Beijing, which previously experienced severe pollution. The government took several measures in 2016, including shutting down and relocating industries that contributed to heavy pollution, spending billions of dollars in the process.

Measures to reduce pollution in Beijing

Officials say that during the winter, the city replaced coal-fired public heating systems with natural gas or electric heating systems, spending more than a billion dollars, which helped reduce pollution levels.