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Urumqi Bans Coal-Burning Boilers for Air Protection
Urumqi, capital city of China's westernmost Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is expected to suffer from less pollution caused by coal-burning boilers in winter as the city's heating system went into operation Monday.
The city has closed some 1,300 boilers before the central heating system began operation, as a measure to minimize the city's air pollution in the cold season.
Urumqi has been one of the most polluted cities in China since 1996. Its air quality either ranks tailender or penultimate across the country, said an official with the city's environmental protection bureau.
He said that the air pollution is mainly caused by a great deal of soot from community boilers, industrial dust and tail gas from vehicles.
Statistics from the local air quality monitoring station indicate that the boilers have produced more than 3,000 tons of soot floating above the city.
The city government plans to shut down a further 2,400 boilers in the next three years.
"The air quality in winter will be greatly improved by 2005. People will enjoy clean and fresh air by then," said mayor of Urumqi.
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