Hong Kong recorded more than twice as many hours of very high roadside pollution in the first quarter, blaming an increase in sunshine for contributing to the smog in the city’s financial and shopping districts.
Roadside monitors recorded 1,372 hours when the pollution index exceeded 100 in the first three months, compared with 580 hours for the same period in 2012, data compiled by the city’senvironmental department show. There were 180 more hours of bright sunshine, a 78 percent gain from a year ago, according to Hong Kong Observatory’s data.
“The weather explanation sounds logical, especially given windless days,” said Kwong Sum-yin, chief executive officer of Clean Air Network, a non-profit advocacy group. “Having said that, the problem in Hong Kong is if you can see the pollution from the roadside, it’s coming from the tailpipes of old dirty vehicles. This problem hasn’t been tackled yet.”
Emissions from Chinese factories across the border and old vehicles in the former British colony have choked residents this year as slower air flow trapped pollutants. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is offering HK$10 billion ($1.3 billion) in subsidies to replace old diesel vehicles after a government audit last year showed that the city’s air quality has worsened since 2007.
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