CHINA TOPIX

11/22/2024 03:02:20 am

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China to Allocate $65B to Curb Water Pollution

China Works To Combat Pollution

(Photo : Getty Images) Water cabbages grow on the Hongyan Reservior polluted by sewage discharge in Chongqing Municipality, China.

China is allocating 430 billion yuan ($65 billion) to finance around 4,800 different projects aimed at improving the country's quality of water supply, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on Monday.

"The funds will go to protecting the environment of rivers and lakes with good water quality; protection of drinking water source; pollution prevention and control in major basins; and groundwater protection," the statement said, adding that the central government has already allocated 13 billion yuan (about $2 billion) for this year.

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The ministry, however, did not specify the timeframe for the said projects. China org., on the other hand, reported that the first batch of projects includes the Liujiaxia Reservoir in Gansu Province and Sanxian Lake in Hunan Province.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that China is trying to improve the quality of its water sources. The country is attempting to undo the damage brought by unregulated chemical run-offs, wastewater left untreated, and excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers as about two-thirds of underground water and a third of surface water are now deemed unfit for human use.

In April 2015, a Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan was issued. It prohibits the use of oil refineries, paper mills, pesticide producers, and other industrial facilities by the end of this year.

To curb water pollution faster, China will also establish an incentive system, giving rewards to provinces that can timely complete projects while reducing funds for regions that fail to comply.

In related news, China has published new draft rules against polluters, particularly on the mining sector. The country plans to implement new and stringent laws, standards, and punishments.

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