Source: China Daily

03-12-2009 11:19

Yu Dena, a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy and Party secretary of Hongchuan village of Jingde County, Anhui province, is concerned about the environment in her hometown.

"It's good to see new houses being constructed. The farmers are excited about moving into them. But that's just one side of the coin. Sewage continues to be randomly dumped anywhere, with plastic bags fluttering in the air," said Yu.

During this year's annual NPC session, Yu proposed that efforts should be stepped up to improve the environment in the countryside.

"Setting up model villages for demonstrational purposes is one thing. Authorities should make people aware of the concept of environmental protection and saving energy in other rural areas as well," she said.

Yu's proposal comes on the heels of the country's commitment to a "green campaign", which has begun to bear fruit.

Premier Wen Jiabao said in his work report at the ongoing annual NPC session that China's energy consumption per 1,000 yuan ($147) of the gross domestic product (GDP) has dropped by 10.8 percent in the past three years.

The country's energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped by 4.59 percent in 2008 from a year earlier.

Wen also announced that the country last year reported a drop in both chemical oxygen demand (COD), a main index of water pollution, and the total emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a main air pollutant, by 4.42 percent and 5.95 percent, respectively.