China to build pollution treatment projects in main waterways

Chinese environmental watchdogs urged main waterways to build pollution treatment projects as scheduled before the end of 2005.

A five-year cleaning plan launched in 2001 by China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) seems to be going too slowly -- by the end of 2004, 20 percent of the total 2130 projects had not yet started.

The main waterways include three main rivers -- the Liaohe, running through northeast China's Liaoning Province, the Haihe, in northern China, and the Huaihe, in eastern China; and three lakes -- Taihu Lake on the border between Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces,Chaohu Lake in Anhui Province and Dianchi Lake in Yunnan Province.Three Gorges Reservoir area and its waterline diverting water from the South to the North are also included.

Among the total 2130 projects, 488, 496 and 221 are in Huaihe, Haihe and Liaohe. Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi lake have 255, 46 and 26. 338 and 260 are in Sanxia and waterline of diverting water from the South to the North.

By the end of 2004, projects that did not start in the above three drainage areas accounted for 28.9 percent, 30.7 percent and 28 percent of the total projects that they have. Projects that did not launch in Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi lake account for 28 percent, 30.7 percent and 28.9 percent of the total. 20.1 percent and 29.6 percent of the projects that in Sanxia and the waterline have not started yet.

An official with the SEPA said 2005 is the last year of the Tenth Five-year Plan, but a large gap still exists between the status quo of the pollution that has been cleaned up and the target of the Plan. He urged local governments and related departments to hurry up to meet the goal.

Projects that do not launch according to the plan, he said, will be exposed.