Beijing plans to spend more than 234 million yuan (US$28.1 million) this year to reduce the effects of sandstorms and bring them under control at source, according to the municipal government.
  
Under the city's sandstorm source treatment project, it will target sources of sandstorms along three major rivers and in two arid regions by 2008, covering 13,333 hectares.
  
The country launched a project to control sandstorms in northern China and Beijing in 2000.
  
As part of the project, Beijing will plant 11,333 hectares of dry land with trees, launch 882 water-saving and water treatment projects and relocate 2,000 local residents.
  
The project will address sandstorm sources in 75 counties in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia in north China.

It will cost a total of 50 billion yuan (US$6.02 billion) by 2010, the city government said.
  
By the end of 2004, Beijing had developed forests totaling 255,000 hectares and turned 13,000 hectares of arid land into grassland. In addition, water treatment had been conducted over 482.5 sq km.
  
The project has greatly improved Beijing's environment and air quality, the city government said. 

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2005)