The urban greeland construction of Urumqi in Xinjiang?Uygur autonomous region?received positive assessment from local official, who made an investigatory tour on Oct 13.

"Urumqi is now pushing forward its greening construction to complete an ecological shelter in five years for the local people," said Zhao Zejian, deputy director general of Urumqi's forestry bureau.

The city has launched construction of its 78.8 kilometer-long eastern highway.??

Green landscaping of 500 meters in width was planned for each side of the highway according to a notification released by the Urumqi Development and Reform Commission this year. Urumqi has now finished nearly one third of the task.

The panel visited Urumqi's Midong district to look into the completed landscape construction of 34.6 hectares. Ma Junlin, director general of the forestry bureau of Midong district, said that the zone has over performed by finishing 34.6 hectares of green land instead of 33.3 planned this year.

Zhang sheng, a member of the municipal committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, spoke highly of Urumqi's efforts to finish the task.

"It is very hard for Urumqi to fulfill the task when facing difficulties of complex terrain and lack of water resources," he said.

Zhai Qinying, director general of the municipal forestry bureau, said that the city will carry on the ecosphere construction and finish the project efficiently and with high quality.

By Qiu Guizhen and edited by Peter Nordlinger?