As news released from an international symposium on Beijing's infrastructure project held on June 28, Beijing will adhere to the policy of putting environmental protection in the first place of the city construction with an investment of 50 billion yuan by 2008, indicating Beijing's determination to build a "green Olympic".
Sky to be more azure
As more clean energy are adopted and less contamination released, the sky over above the city of Beijing is becoming increasingly clear and transparent. Beijing has pipelined in large amount of natural gas from northwest China's Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia in the past five years. By the end of 2000, some 9 million cubic meters of natural gas could be supplied to Beijing citizens with 97 percent of families fueled with gas if artificial and liquefied gas counted in.
Along with the completion of the second natural gas pipeline from Shaanxi to Beijing the ratio of high-quality energy in Beijing will, by 2005, account for 75 percent of the total terminal energy, and air quality index will reach the second level of the State standard.
Water to become more limpid
Presently, 2.55 million cubic meters of wasted water are produced every day in Beijing with 40 percent of them to be treated daily, doubling that of five years ago. This year will see the wastewater harness project to be kicked off on Qinghe and Liangshui, the two major rivers in Beijing.
An official of the Municipal Government of Beijing said: by 2005, over 90 percent of the sewage in urban area of Beijing can be treated. Besides, Beijing is aiming at putting itself into a water saving city as the recycling of sewage by that time will reach 500,000 tons every day.
And to have fewer garbage
After visiting several garbage burial grounds the general manager of the British CPL Energy Company put his thumb up, saying that Chinese rubbish disposal has advanced equipment, strict management and beautiful environment. He suggested to conduct the "green electricity" generated from garbage disposal plant to the Olympic Village.
The 8,000 tons of garbage every day hasn't turned Beijing into a large dump. Instead, 14 modern rubbish disposal equipment can consume 6,480 tons of garbage daily without causing any pollution. By 2005, we'll see 98 percent of the garbage produced in daily city-life to be disposed of in this way.
(People's Daily 06/29/2001)
