To curb water pollution along the eastern line of China's
largest water diversion project, 369 pollution prevention projects,
with a total cost of 22.8 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion), will be
implemented in two phases over the coming 10 years, the
Beijing-based China Daily reported Monday.
Phase one will deal with the pollution of Shandong's Nansihu
Reservoir and the section of the diversion passing through Jiangsu
Province, and will be completed by the year 2008. Phase two will
concentrate on the pollution in Hebei Province and the city of
Tianjin, according to the State Water Resources Administration
Bureau for the Huaihe River.
Phase one will require an investment of 13.8 billion yuan
(US$1.67 billion). The entire Nansihu Reservoir area in Shandong
will see a total of 76 industrial structure modification and
industrial pollution treatment projects, including the construction
of 27 industrial sewage treatment plants, according to the
paper.
Along the two sides of the 100-kilometre main tunnel of the
reservoir, a 50-100 meters wide green belt will be built to prevent
possible pollution. Other efficient pollution-control systems will
also be established around the area.
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The pollution control tasks on the eastern line of the
south-to-north water diversion project are the most formidable,
said Fan Liliang, vice-director of the pollution control department
of the Shandong Environment Protection Bureau.
Major pollution sources include industrial pollution, urban
residential pollution, fish farms, agricultural fertilizers and
shipping pollution.
To date, Shandong has closed 23 paper pulp mills. This year
another two paper pulp lines and three alcohol lines will be closed
down, the daily reported.
Fan said the local government has worked hard to curb industrial
pollution, adopting environmentally friendly technology, and using
recycled water in industrial production.
"We are launching a comprehensive pollution-control scheme that
combines pollution management, wastewater recycling and biological
environment protection," said Fan.
The recycled wastewater will be utilized for city afforestation,
cleaning, and agricultural irrigation.
On December 28 last year, China initiated the gigantic project
to divert water from the mighty Yangtze River to the country's
parched north.
Involving an investment of about US$59 billion, the project will
deliver about 44.8 billion cubic meters of water to the north each
year, upon completion in the middle of this century.
By 2013 the huge water diversion project will have invested a
total of 13.3 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) in Shandong Province,
mainly for pollution treatment.
(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2003)