Beijing endured a dusty month in April. The only nine days of blue sky among the past 29 days showed the most serious air pollution in the past four years, said the municipal environmental protection bureau Saturday.

A man sweeps dust off his car parked in the open air near his home in Beijing April 17, 2006. [Xinhua]

Sandstorms from Mongolia and North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region brought floating dust pollution for seven times in the city in April, said Pei Chenghu, deputy director of the bureau.

As of Saturday, Beijing's urban area saw 60 days of blue sky this year, where were 16 days less than the same period last year.

The official said 17 days out of the past four months suffered level four or five air pollution, but there were only nine such days in the past one year.

Pei said all the relevant departments in Beijing launched dust and pollution prevention and control activities to improve the capital's air quality.

A tourist wears sunglasses and cloth mask to ward off dust as he goes sightseeing at the Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing April 17, 2006. [Newsphoto]

Beijing Construction Committee examined more than 9,000 construction sites and ordered nearly 3,000 to take measures in controlling the dust from the working sites.

At the same time, the municipal government will use 13,700 more tons of water to restrain the floating dust on the streets.

Viewing from the air quality records in the past few years, no floating dust has occurred in May, and the official said he hopes Beijing will have at least 20 days of blue sky in the next month. ¡¡¡¡