The per capita water consumption in Beijing dropped by 14.6 percent to 15.8 tons in the first seven months of this year, the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau said Tuesday.

The figures were based on spot checks of about 2,000 urban households.

The bureau attributed the drop of water consumption to heightened awareness of the importance of water saving.

"More and more citizens have realized that water is a kind of resources that can not be regenerated," the bureau said, adding that water shortage is a serious challenge to the Chinese capital.

The Beijing municipal government has, in response to the central government's call, appealed for building a resources-saving society.

The State Council, or China's cabinet, last month issued a notice on building a resources-efficient society, urging local governments at all levels to take strict resources-saving measures.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the policy will greatly influence the destiny of the nation, including the country's economic and social development.

Activities like saving water and electricity and opposing luxury and waste mark a return to Chinese tradition, which advocates hard working and thrift. This is important to China, a populous developing country with insufficient resources.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2005)