Beijing has tried different ways to address the air pollution in the capital city, including a ban on vehicles, industrial production, construction and work in the city when the smog level exceeds health benchmarks.
Air pollution is also experienced in other Chinese cities that daily, the dirty atmosphere claims the lives of 4,000 people in China. One unique way that the Asian giant is fighting pollution is the use of a monstrous machine that floods the air with water to rid urban centers of smog.
Techinsider reports that the water cannon, which reportedly costs more than $106,000, has been spotted being used in Jiangmen and cities near Beijing.
According to Changsa Evening New, on the second week of December, giant cannons were also used in Changsa, the capital of Hunan Province which was utilized for 90 minutes to blast nine tons of water in the capital city. Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province, used the cannon a week earlier than Changsa to help bring down dust and improve air quality.
In 2014, two gigantic sprayers were also seen attempting to clean the air in Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu Province which squirted water 2,000 feet into the air. It was set up at the Dongfanghong Square near a subway station of Metro Line 1 that was then under construction.
The water cannon appears to imitate the cleansing effect of rain on a place, but some Chinese netizens question if the method was useful. Others point out that it was not a long-term solution. University of Leeds professor of Atmospheric Chemistry explains that the water from the cannon clings on pollutants and brings it back down to earth.