Artificial rain may help combat smog by 2015  

(ECNS) – The China Meteorological Administration has released a plan to reduce smog with artificial rain by 2015, the Beijing News reports.

Local meteorological departments across the country will be able to intervene in the weather to create better air quality, according to the plan.

A staffer at the administration said one of the key measures to removing smog was artificial precipitation.

The measure is still in the pilot stage, and the amount of precipitation needed must still be assessed, said the staffer.

"It's just a supplementary means to combat smog at present," he added.

Poor air flow on smoggy days makes it harder to implement artificial rain, according to the staffer.

Another measure is to build "air corridors" in cities to bring in wind and blow away smog, which can be a long-term mechanism.

However, Yang Baojun, chief urban planner at the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, said an .air corridor" may be not be possible in Beijing, as its urban planning was designed to resist cold and wind.

In addition to upgrading industrial structure and applying clean energy, Beijing can reduce smog by planting more trees and protecting wetlands, Yang added.