Thousands to visit waste disposal sites as Guangzhou aims for new incinerators
A total of 11,000 people – mostly local government employees – will descend on a landfill site and a working incinerator by July 4 under the municipal government plans
Thousands of people will be invited to visit two waste disposal sites as Guangzhou tries to build support for new incinerator projects, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
A total of 11,000 people – mostly local government employees – will descend on a landfill site and a working incinerator by July 4 under the plans.
The visitors will also include about 1,000 journalists, residents and volunteers while about 100 property developers and 200 property managers are also set to join the party. Some 14 groups of people will make the trip under plans agreed by the municipal government which will stretch the authorities’ capacity to host the visitors.
“It is already at full capacity arranging 500 visitors for the sites,” said Wei Weihan, director of Guangzhou Urban Management Committee.
“Ordinary residents can visit the sites any week but government employees do not necessarily know about garbage disposal and they are to take advantage of the visiting project over 20 or so days.”
The two sites were chosen so visitors will be able to make a direct comparison about the two kinds of waste disposal – and see the advantages of incinerators, the newspaper report said.
The number of waste incinerators will rise sharply across the mainland under a national plan to invest in greener waste disposal and environmental protection.
But such projects are not always welcomed by residents who have taken to the streets to voice concerns over potential health dangers.
A year ago Guangzhou residents staged three rallies against a proposed incinerator in the city’s Huadu district, with the largest meeting attracting more than 10,000 protestors.
Residents in the Panyu district have long complained about the strong smell from the Huoshaogang landfill site and the authorities believe the Dagang Incinerator will solve the problem once it is complete.
“Visitors will draw the conclusion themselves that incinerators solve the smell problem by visiting the No 1 Likeng Incinerator and Likeng landfill disposal site. It will be positive publicity and guidance,” the newspaper report said.