China unveils plan to stop pollution at lakes

13 July 2007 04:07  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--China’s environment watchdog said late on Thursday it planned to curb pollution at lakes by taking actions that include shutting small plants and suspending approvals for new projects.

Factories discharging waste water into lakes will also need to hold permits from 2008, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said in a statement.

The government aims to clean up severe pollution at its five lakes, especially in Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi, so as to provide clean drinking water for its people. Chaohu is in eastern Anhui province and Dianchi is in Kunming, southwestern Yunnan province.

In late May, an algae bloom choked Taihu, the country’s third largest freshwater lake, and left over 2m Wuxi residents without any tap water. Five officials in neighbouring Yixing city was punished in the scandal and Premier Wen Jiabao has ordered an immediate clean-up.

SEPA said it will stop approvals for projects which discharge heavy metals, nitrogen and phosphate into lakes.

All small paper, breweries, chemicals, textiles and dye factories will have to be closed by 2010, it added. Factories which could not meet emission standards will also have to be shut.

China will also speed up the construction of a waste water treatment plant in Taihu, to be completed by the end of June next year, the SEPA said.

By: Florence Tan
+65 6780 4359

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