Beijing orders removal of garbage near reservoir

BEIJING - Beijing authorities have ordered removal of the garbage in a pit near the Miyun Reservoir, a major source of water for the city, the local environmental protection bureau said late Sunday.

According to a statement issued by the bureau at its official microblogging site, the Miyun County Government has ordered all household garbage dumped in the pit at the Bulaotun Township be cleared by Monday noon.

The order was issued Thursday after the environmental protection hotline received complaints about garbage burial in the pit.

The pit, which was left following a waterway dredging project in 2009, has posed threat to the water quality of the nearby river and reservoir, said the statement, although monitoring results showed the water quality had not been affected so far.

The Miyun County Government will carry out an overall inspection nearby the reservoir to eradicate similar risks that may affect the water quality, the bureau said.