Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality will invest 44.48 billion yuan (US$5.36 billion) to improve the ecological environment in the Three Gorges area over the next 10 years.
According to the municipal plan, Chongqing will build 39 urban wastewater plants and 30 sewage treatment facilities in major small towns along the Three Gorges Reservoir, with a combined daily handling capacity of 2.98 million tons.
Thirty urban garbage disposal plants and 30 more in major small towns near the Three Gorges Reservoir will be built, adding a daily handling capacity of 9,887 tons.
Chongqing will also tackle 14 rivers which pollute the reservoir and build eight buildings that will be able to use industrial solid waste.
In the Chongqing area, 101 million tons of wastewater and 9.28 million tons of industrial solid waste and domestic refuse are discharged into the reservoir annually.
To improve the local environment and soil erosion, the city will take measures to protect 2.39 million hectares of natural forest, turn 106,000 hectares of low-yield sloping farmland into forest, develop ecological agriculture and establish 50 nature reserves, which cover 6,200 square km.
A center to monitor the local water environment, health condition of local people, the ecology and meteorological changes will also be established.
(Xinhua 01/04/2001)
