China embassy spokesperson teaches Delhi a lesson on air pollution

Says Beijing banned coal, checked vehicles sales & relocated wholesale markets

Delhi Crown Bureau

New Delhi: While Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta struggled to pronounce, or define Air Quality Index (AQI), spokesperson of the China embassy in Delhi Ms. Yu Jing on Thursday (Dec. 18) advised the Delhi Government to adopt the Beijing model to combat air-pollution, which hits in the Indian capital city during the winter months.

The burgeoning menace caught everyone’s attention over the past couple of weeks, even as AQI had been hovering over 500, considered hazardous for human life. The matter has been resonating inside the Parliament too, as MPs indulge in different acts like wearing face-masks or riding e-motorbikes to the House.

On Thursday Aya Nagar area showed an AQI of 464, while Siri Fort had and R.K. Puram had AQIs of 379 and 375, respectively, which fell in Very Poor category as per air quality standards.

In a series of posts on “X” on Wednesday and Thursday, China embassy spokesperson Yu Jing advised Delhi how vehicle emissions could be controlled. She also delved into how Delhi could learn a lesson from Beijing in controlling air-pollution by banning coal combustion, better vehicles management, staggered industrialisation and relocating wholesale markets, etc.

Ban Coal Combustion

According to Yu Jing, coal combustion was once a major source of Beijing’s air pollution. To address this, the city launched a targeted transition, including shifting over one million rural households and all urban areas from coal heating to cleaner electricity or natural gas. Beijing also shut down four major coal-fired power plants and replaced them with natural gas–fired stations.

Besides, the Chinese capital city also upgraded small highly polluting coal boilers with larger, cleaner, and more efficient systems.

“Coal-banning” policies across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to curb cross-border pollution. Beijing imports cleaner power from neighboring provinces, and the result is that by 2025, Beijing’s coal consumption dropped from over 21 million tonnes (2012) to less than 600,000 tonnes, accounting for under 1 percent of the city’s total energy use.

Better Vehicles Management

Advising a better vehicles management for the Indian capital city, Ms. Yu Jing said, “Adopt ultra-strict regulations like China 6NI (on par with Euro 6), Phase-out retired old, high-emission vehicles, Curb car growth via license-plate lotteries and odd-even/weekday driving rules, Build one of the world’s largest metro and bus networks, Accelerate the shift to electric mobility, Work with the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region on coordinated emissions cuts,” she posted.

She further stated that cleaner air didn’t happen overnight, “but it is achievable.”

Notably, unlike Delhi, people in Beijing can’t directly buy private vehicles, particularly cars. Every year they need to apply for lotteries for license-plates. Those who win the lotteries are only allowed to buy private vehicles. This major step resulted in a lesser number of vehicles on Beijing roads, which further led a reduction in air pollution.

Industrial Restructuring

Yu Jing also depicted how Beijing tackled air pollution through industrial restructuring. According to her, Beijing had shut-down or removed over 3000 heavy industries. “Relocating Shougang, one of China’s largest steelmakers, alone had cut inhalable particles by 20 percent,” she added.

Then, according to her, Beijing transformed vacated factories into parks, commercial zones, cultural and tech hubs. Citing an example, she said that the former Shougang site became 2022 Winter Olympics venue.

The embassy’s spokesperson also stated that Beijing relieved non-capital functions by relocating wholesale markets, logistics hubs and some educational and medical institutions, and coordinated regional integration by shifting general manufacturing to Hebei, while retaining high-value Research and Development and services in Beijing.

Delhi air pollution resonates in Parliament

Over the past few days, MPs belonging to several opposition political parties had been protesting inside Parliament House raising the problem of air pollution. Considering the draconian scale of air pollution in Delhi, “Lok Sabha” was slated to have a discussion on Thursday.

In order to highlight Delhi’s air pollution, Congress MPs are normally seen entering Parliament wearing huge face-masks, or riding an e-motor-bike, etc.