China is working out its first emergency scheme against possible environmental crisis, in a bid to enhance the handling capability of governments at various levels in dealing with the pollution issues.

Zhejiang Province in east China heralds the country in drafting such a scheme, which has drafted the Emergency Plan Against Environmental Crisis and is widely soliciting opinions from all sides, said Wang Yimiao, head the provincial environmental supervisory department, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The draft scheme, the first of its kind in China, has been submitted to the provincial government for examination and approval and is expected to be issued by the end of this year, the official said.

The emergency scheme involves the setup, working principles, grading of pollution incidents, enhancement of handling capability, direction and coordination as well as release of information regarding emergency environmental pollution accidents.

It is one of the important steps taken by the province to speed up ecological construction and tighten control on environmental protection, the official noted.

The emergency scheme drafted by the province has made specific stipulations on the supervision and elimination on hidden dangers threatening the environment, with priorities given to the key areas vulnerable to pollution accidents.

Under the scheme, the relevant departments are required to set up regular consultation system discussing environmental issues. And a comprehensive system governing investigation of environmental problems and of responsibility has been included in the scheme.

According to the local statistics, environmental problems remain on top of residents' complaints in the eastern coastal province, which was a result caused by the contradiction between fast economic growth and sluggish environmental protection, said the local experts.

Xi Jinping, secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has stressed the importance of paying equal attention to the economic development and environmental protection.

The province has listed environmental protection one of the most important tasks in its government work report and has raised the target of building Zhejiang into a province with best ecological environment.

Up to date, Zhejiang has developed 43 urban sewage treatment plants and 82 garbage disposal plants. Environmental protection drive has been launched in over 2,500 villages across the province.

Most significantly, 22 counties of the province have been namedthe State-Class Ecologically Model Zones.

The province has been placed third in the country in light of environmental development since 2002, according to the Report of China's Sustainable Development Strategy publicized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The province vows to achieve a fundamental turn in environmental protection in about 10 or 15 years, said Dai Beijun,director of the provincial bureau of environment protection.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2005)