'Iced' building reveals bid to fabricate air quality data

Ice on the building in the photo above was not created by extreme cold weather, but by a Chinese municipal department who tried to rig monitoring data by spraying water near an air quality detector.

The small water droplets of mist cannons are believed to absorb airborne pollutants before settling on the ground. Engineers estimate that they can reduce PM 10 and PM 2.5 – harmful particles in the air – by 20 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

People in charge of the attempted fabrication were given a public warning, according to a statement by the Department of Environmental Protection of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Saturday. 

It said that staff of the Bureau of Environmental Protection of Shizuishan City in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region had intentionally disturbed the operation of the air quality monitors while cleaning the building with mist cannons last December.

However the effort to improve the readings was foiled by an overnight freeze.

Achievements in environmental protection have been gradually included in the evaluation system of job performance since 2014. Since then, some local authorities have reportedly used mist cannons and other equipment to try to rig readings.

Despite the official statement, an on-duty employee at the Shizuishan bureau told Beijing Times on Saturday that the ice sculpture building was caused by burst water pipes.

On the social media platform Weibo, many users mocked the authorities after photos of the building were widely circulated online.

"Instead of fooling others, they have made a mockery of themselves," said Yunzeqidanche.

"It likes a TV drama," commented user Taijiqipiaoyang01.

"Local authorities have to bring the data up to the standard," sarcastically stated user Yurenyanjingge.