Beijing has set aside money to reward people who help improve the environment, especially those who detect and report polluters. 

Beijing's local environmental protection department plans to establish fund this year to encourage residents to help monitor air pollution.

The move was unveiled in a draft plan released on Sunday by Beijing's Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection. Public feedback on the draft will be sought until March 10.

No amount has been set yet for the reward fund, said sources with the bureau's air pollution control department. The plan will be revised after public opinions are collected.

Nothing like this organized has been tried before, although this is not the first time rewards have been offered for pollution information.

Last year, the local environmental protection bureau partnered with a local newspaper to offer between 50 yuan (US$6) and 300 yuan (US$36) to people who reported air polluters. The information was published in the Beijing Youth Daily.

The reward initiative is only one of several approaches being taken by pollution control authorities.

Some local residents, deputies to the municipal people's congress, members of the municipal people's political consultative conference and experts will be invited by the environmental department to supervise the city's air condition.

The Beijing municipal government has set a lofty goal on air pollution for 2004.

This year, air quality was good during at least 62 percent of days.

Last year, there were 224 days of good air quality, or 61 percent of the total days in 2003.

"The task to fight against air pollution will be more difficult to achieve in 2004 as construction of Olympic venues will be in full swing," Beijing mayor Wang Qishan explained earlier.

In addition to the four Olympic venues for which workers broke ground last year, there will be 11 new venue projects starting this year, said Olympic organizers.

Dust from construction sites throughout the capital city has contributed a lot to the main pollutants of Beijing - floating particles.

The draft issued on Sunday requires all construction sites to take strict measures to control the dust, especially in transportation.

Vehicles carrying construction materials have to be dirt-free before leaving construction sites.

Meanwhile, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Parks will add 1,000 hectares of newly forested areas this year, said the draft.

In another development, the Beijing-based steel giant Shougang Group stopped production at two lime pits last year, which many claimed were heavy pollutants.

Vice-mayor Lu Hao said late last year that the Shougang Group will transfer out of the capital city ahead of 2012 due to environmental concerns. That plan was not confirmed yesterday by sources with the group.

(China Daily March 2, 2004)