Urumqi has sent a panel to the Urumqi State High-tech Industrial Zone on July 18 to examine its efforts and achievements in environmental protection.

Hao Jianmin, head of the zone, said the zone has emphasized ecological environmental protection in all construction. The projects introduced to the area all passed strict examination and approval procedures to control any negative effect they might have had on the environment.

He added that local air quality has improved with the percentage of days in good air condition increasing to 84.7 percent in 2015 from 73 percent in 2011.

Niu Xiaoping, former deputy secretary of the Urumqi Development and Reform Commission, attributed the improvement in the local air condition to Urumqi's switch from coal-to-gas consumption.

Niu also said that the city, as Xinjiang's science and technology R&D center, should enhance its study of air pollution controls and carry out targeted work.

The panel later visited a poultry farm and some major industrial companies and offered some suggestions for improvement after listening to the measures they had taken for pollution reduction.

Niu Xiaoping speaks at the meeting. [Photo/ wxsq.gov.cn]

Gao Feng reports on Urumqi’s environmental condition. [Photo/ wxsq.gov.cn]

The zone’s officials attended the meeting. [Photo/ wxsq.gov.cn]

By Qiu Guizhen and edited by Peter Nordinger