Sluggish snow-clearing efforts in the northeastern city of Benxi have created a buzz on Chinese social media after the city was reported to have spent 2.8 billion yuan ($392 million) over a 24-year snow removal contract with a local company. /Provided by CGTN's Guan Yang
Sluggish snow-clearing efforts in the northeastern city of Benxi have created a buzz on Chinese social media after the city was reported to have spent 2.8 billion yuan ($392 million) over a 24-year snow removal contract with a local company.
On Wednesday, the city's government responded with a statement, claiming that the 2.8 billion yuan contract also covers the services of road cleaning, garbage collection, public toilet management and so on, adding that it is common practice to get urban sanitation work done by the market-oriented approach of government procurement. The authorities have also requested the contractor of snow removal, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Co-op Group Ltd., to beef up efforts in snow removal tasks.
"We earnestly request the general public to continue to supervise our work, and we will serve the general public with higher standards. We vow to complete the snow removal work in a timely and efficient manner in the near future," read the city government's statement. Moreover, a public hotline was provided to the residents for inquiries on snow clearing work.
Benxi's general budget expenditure in 2022 was reported at 16.1 billion yuan (about $2.3 billion), which means that nearly 1 percent of the city's general budget goes to snow removal annually. However, days after the snow stopped falling last week, local residents criticized the speed of the clean-up work, as some of the main thoroughfares turned slushy and muddy.
Slushy roads in recent days have made walking around the hilly city a rather bad idea for the locals. /Provided by CGTN's Guan Yang
With a population of 1.4 million, Benxi is known for its iron and steel industry. Slushy roads in recent days have made walking around the hilly city a rather bad idea for the locals. Some vendors were also angered after being informed that a fine would be issued if they did not clear the snow on their doorstep, given the fact that the city has already spent 2.8 billion yuan on snow removal.
"If the already cash-strapped city wanted to spend more on snow, it meant it would be forced to cut expenditures on others, such as garbage collection or renovation programs in old neighborhoods," Yu Zhijie, a local retiree, told CGTN.
One of the common challenges faced by the cities in the country's northeast during snow removal is dealing with large surface areas that need to be cleared as soon as snow stops. These facilities often have extensive parking lots, roadways and outdoor storage areas that require thorough snow removal to ensure accessibility.
Some vendors are also angered after being informed that a fine would be issued if they did not clear the snow on their doorstep. /Provided by CGTN's Guan Yang
Since mid-December, many parts of northern China have experienced heavy snowstorms. Meteorologists have said that the cold wave has been fierce, with a large drop in temperatures and severe snowstorms, which put significant pressure on transportation and led to an increased risk of accidents. Moreover, special attention needs to be paid to safety hazards caused by snowstorms.