With less than 4 months to go before the Beijing Olympics, the host city's environmental officials want sports fans to breathe easier.

With less than 4 months to go before the Beijing Olympics, the host city's environmental officials want sports fans to breathe easier.

They're planning a series of temporary measures to stop construction and close heavy industries, all aimed at cleaning the city's polluted air. The city's Environmental Protection Bureau made the announcement on Monday. It says that all digging and pouring of concrete on construction sites will be suspended from July 20 to Sept. 20. Nineteen heavy-polluting companies have also been told that they must cut their emissions in the same period by a further 30 percent. Officials are expected to ban about half of Beijing's 3.3 million vehicles during the August 8-24 Olympics.

Du Shaozhong, Deputy director, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said, "During the period of Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, which means during the time between July 20th to September 20th, we will carry out strict measures to control and monitor cars, construction sites and the emission reduction of some heavy production companies and make sure a good air quality during the games."

(CCTV April 15, 2008)