Beijing's growth strains services
By Wang Xiang |
August 17, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BEIJING is facing a population crisis, with the city's total residents having reached 20 million by the end of last year, a pace much faster than the government had expected.
The massive number of residents and the throngs of migrant workers flocking to the capital are straining the city's resources, an unidentified expert told the Beijing News yesterday.
According to a city development plan issued by the State Council in 2004, Beijing's population was expected to reach 18 million by 2020. But there were already 19.71 million residents living in the capital by the end of 2009.
Only 12.46 million among the total population were native Beijingers. The other 7.26 million people were migrant workers whose children will have trouble when trying to go to school in the city.
Ninety-eight percent of energy consumed in Beijing was brought in from outside the city. Water shortages also haunt the city, which was hit by drought in 11 consecutive years.
The soaring population exerts great pressure on the city's schools, public transportation system and other facilities, the report said.
Experts made these announcements after the preliminary check for the latest national census kicked off on Sunday. Altogether 100,000 uniformed census takers started a one-month door-to-door check on every household's current residential information.
Those who violated the one-child policy would be spared from punishment if they report the true information to these census takers, Beijing Daily reported yesterday. This was considered a sign of loosening family planning policy.
Those who have more than one child will have their extra kids granted local permanent residence despite it being a breach of China's family planning policy, according to a former report.
The one-month check in Beijing was a prelude to the national census that will begin in November.
This year's census will also include expats and residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The once-a-decade census will be finished in 2012.
The last census in 2000 registered 1.295 billion people living in China.
The massive number of residents and the throngs of migrant workers flocking to the capital are straining the city's resources, an unidentified expert told the Beijing News yesterday.
According to a city development plan issued by the State Council in 2004, Beijing's population was expected to reach 18 million by 2020. But there were already 19.71 million residents living in the capital by the end of 2009.
Only 12.46 million among the total population were native Beijingers. The other 7.26 million people were migrant workers whose children will have trouble when trying to go to school in the city.
Ninety-eight percent of energy consumed in Beijing was brought in from outside the city. Water shortages also haunt the city, which was hit by drought in 11 consecutive years.
The soaring population exerts great pressure on the city's schools, public transportation system and other facilities, the report said.
Experts made these announcements after the preliminary check for the latest national census kicked off on Sunday. Altogether 100,000 uniformed census takers started a one-month door-to-door check on every household's current residential information.
Those who violated the one-child policy would be spared from punishment if they report the true information to these census takers, Beijing Daily reported yesterday. This was considered a sign of loosening family planning policy.
Those who have more than one child will have their extra kids granted local permanent residence despite it being a breach of China's family planning policy, according to a former report.
The one-month check in Beijing was a prelude to the national census that will begin in November.
This year's census will also include expats and residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The once-a-decade census will be finished in 2012.
The last census in 2000 registered 1.295 billion people living in China.
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