|
Price hike hoped to help save water
By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-05-20 06:34
Water prices in Beijing are due to go up again in a move aimed at making
residents think long and hard about conserving the precious resource.
Beijingers apparently use about 80 times more water than the average Japanese
person.
This is in part due to inferior plumbing and to not heeding calls to conserve
water.
Water for residential purposes is expected to go up to 4.5 yuan (54 cents)
per cubic metre from 3.7 yuan (45 cents), the Beijing Times reports.
Some residents were understanding about the new price and the reason for it.
"The price hike is not unexpected," said Ma Hua, 58, a resident in Huixinli.
"The city has been thirsty for many years and the situation is no better
elsewhere in China."
Ma is probably not a typical water consumer though; her husband is a retired
employee with the city's water authority which means she appreciates the
country's lack of water better than most people.
For years she has used water from her washing machine to clean the floor.
Other residents were not so relaxed about a rise in prices.
"The new prices may mean nothing to people on high incomes. But it is
different for the rest," complained Xiao Zhanguo, a taxi driver.
Yu Yaping, an official with the Beijing Water Authority, said the final
schedule for the new prices is subject to the Beijing Municipal Commission of
Development and Reform.
He said the prices would hopefully act as "a kind of lever to improve
people's lavish water consuming style."
Wang Jianhua, a deputy to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, supported
the introduction of the price lever, saying it was one of the most effective
ways to prevent people from using so much water.
Dripping water
Many people seem to care little about dripping water from a leaky tap, but
that causes a lot of waste, Wang said.
The current price of 3.7 yuan per cubic metre consists of 2.8 yuan to buy the
water and 0.9 yuan for sewage disposal.
Last year, water cost 2.9 yuan (35 cents) per unit.
Liu Peng from the water conservation office of the Beijing Water Authority
said the city is campaigning to conserve water.
Newly built public buildings and residential communities are required to have
water recycling facilities, Liu said.
(China Daily 05/20/2005 page3)
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
Today's
Top News |
|
|
|
Top China
News |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
