Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province and once rated the "most-polluted city" in the country, reported further improvements in its air quality during 2002.

The city had 153 days with fairly good air last year, 33 days more than the previous year. Levels of particular matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide dropped by 14.29 percent on average, according to statistics from the city environmental protection administration.

Shanxi Province is a coal industry base in China, its coal output accounting for nearly one-third of the country's total. The provincial capital is one of China's important energy and chemical industry bases.

Coal burning and an unbalanced industrial structure centered on the coal industry are the major causes of heavy pollution in the city. Floating dust and automobile emissions also contribute to pollution.

Since 2000, the city has invested 510 million yuan (US$61.66 million) in setting up waste emissions and waste water treatment facilities. It has also capped the amount of pollutants discharged by the city's key industries.

Statistics show that the content of sulfur dioxide in the air dropped by 13,000 tons last year compared with 2001.

The city expects to see an annual increase of 30 days with fairly good air and a 15 percent drop in major pollutants in the next few years.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2003)