Hongkou and Zhabei districts turned out to be home to the most badly managed construction sites in downtown areas last month, annoying locals with their noise, trash and mud.

Qingpu and Jiading ranked bottom among suburban districts, according to the latest survey on the city's construction sites by a citizens' investigation group.

The survey of 90 construction sites in 18 districts showed there was lots of room for improvement.

Statistics showed Hongkou District dropped to bottom among 10 urban districts from eighth a month earlier. Zhabei District made an even bigger slide this month, from third to ninth.

"These districts have more construction projects than those in downtown areas because of their large size, which made the management tougher," said Sun Jin, an official with the Shanghai Construction Engineering Safety Quality Supervisory Center.

Among the 90 construction sites, a building construction site in Qingpu District and a villa project in Songjiang performed the worst because of construction waste and residues dumped in a river.

Many residents worried that things would be worse with summer approaching. The noise will be louder and the dust more of a problem as people open windows during hot weather.

In response, the authorities said they would strengthen management and supervision.

Construction sites, especially those in downtown areas, will be required to have piled-up sand and earth covered up and to sprinkle the ground with water periodically, so as to prevent dust.

Owners of construction sites who fail to meet standards repeatedly would face fines of 1,000 yuan (US$146) to 20,000 yuan.