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Guangdong Special: Guangzhou: Water and air improved for 16th Games

By Cai Cai (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-21 08:16

Cyclists riding on a 'greenway' in Zhuhai. Recently developed by the Guangdong provincial government, the network will include 1,690 kilometers of pathway for cyclists and pedestrians to encourage environmentally friendly travelling. Zhang Yuchen / China Daily

Though benefiting from its range of successful industries and rising income levels, Guangzhou has had to fight hard to clean up, then reduce ongoing pollution over the past few decades.

The environmental protection bureau in the capital city of Guangdong province says water in the Pearl River and its tributaries that run through the city has become clearer while air quality has greatly improved.

The Guangzhou city government invested enormous sums to fight pollution in recent years, resulting in an improvement of the city's water and air quality, according to the bureau.

Ouyang Ming, deputy chief of water quality for the city government, said more than 48.6 billion yuan was spent to battle water pollution from January 2009 to July this year.

The effects are obvious, according to local residents.

"I can no longer smell the terrible odor from the Donghao stream that runs through my community," said Li Wenjie, a housewife in Guangzhou's Yuexiu district.

"Donghao used to be a stinking open ditch that smelled terrible. But now its water has become clearer and many trees and flowers have been planted along the banks," she added.

In addition to separation of rain pipes from sewage lines, a total of 30 sewage treatment plants have been constructed in the past months to increase the city's sewage treatment capacity by 2.25 million tons a day.

The water quality in 121 rivers and streams with a total length of 388 kilometers has been improved, according to the environmental protection bureau.

The government also made deep investments on high-tech measures to ensure air quality meet State-mandated standards.

As of September 1, owners of large vehicles are required to use the highest-octane gasoline to reduce emissions.

And the city's environmental protection bureau has set up 29 checkpoints to monitor vehicle emissions.

More than 30 chemical plants that produced polluting emissions in the city proper have now been relocated or shut down.

The move aims to ensure better air quality for the upcoming 16th Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou from November 12 to 27 this year, officials from city's environmental protection bureau said.

(China Daily 09/21/2010 page4)