Twenty-four heavily polluting and water-consuming firms have been closed or have had their operations suspended since early last year to ensure clean air during the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, an official said yesterday.

These firms produced cement, glass, paper, chemical products, or were involved in casting, printing, dyeing and electroplating industries.

With the closure of the firms, energy equivalent of 123,000 tons of standard coal and 3.248 million tons of water will be saved every year. The move will also help reduce exhaust gas emission by 480 million cu m and solid waste by 40,000 tons every year.