国家各种措施对付寒冬

Recent heavy snow and falling temperatures have driven up demand for gas. But China is taking measures to ensure supplies are able to meet rising demand.

The cold front has brought this year's first snow to Sichuan province. In Beichuan county, the traffic department has temporarily closed roads. The county government has launched its emergency response, distributing cold weather supplies to local residents.

Low temperatures have caused natural gas consumption to soar by 10 thousand cubic meters a day in Yangzhou city, Jiangsu province. To ensure enough gas for residents, Yangzhou has started limiting supplies to commercial and industrial enterprises. Yangzhou government is asking ten more companies with gas fired boilers to reduce their gas consumption.

He Qinghua, Factory Director, said, "Our three production lines have to work in turns. One line is working while the other two stop. It can save energy consumption by four fifths."

Since Wednesday, Chonqing city's gas stations are only open to public transport vehicles such as taxis and buses from 10 am to 10 pm. Other vehicles have to get their gas at other times.

A taxi driver said, "It's quicker than yesterday when it took two hours."

A gas station director said, "The measure cuts the number of vehicles getting gas by up to 40 per cent."

Meanwhile in Tongling city, Anhui Province, natural gas company employees are using electricity to keep pipes warm.

The company is limiting supplies to some industrial enterprises to ensure supplies to 120 thousand homes and a thousand buses and taxis.